Sears/Craftsman - where do you want to see it go?

[bimmerZ5]

every few weeks, there's another thread about sears, good, bad, whatever... i see folks posting how sears is doing this wrong or that wrong, i see people post about how they wish sears would get their act together, i see posts about bringing USA COO back, or just spinning off Craftsman, etc.

so, i thought I'd post a poll. Where do you want to see Sears/Craftsman go?

1. I want to see Sears/Craftsman restored to its former glory w/ made in USA tools
2. Sears/Craftsman can go to hell (go out of business completely), I've got other options for tools from HD/Lowes/HFT/Internet
3. I want them to spin off Craftsman into a tools specialty retail outlet and the rest of Sears can go to hell (out of business)
4. I don't care; I don't shop there and never will.

 

[woody 73]

To be honest with you the I hate Sears, I hate Mac, I hate snap-on, I haste HF posts are getting old.

I guess it is the nature of the beast, all things will die, and be reborn; tool companies will come and go, new products today will be old and outdated, if sears survives fine and if they don't then the world will not come to an end.

 

[Wamsutta]

These days with the internet, I see no reason to be tied down to Craftsman.

 

[monomach]

I votes for standalone stores. They should be the us-made version of harbor freight. Prices could be kept reasonable by offering quality products without stupid bells and whistles...like Wilde.

 

[ctb]

I remember when harbour freight was taking out small ads in the backs of magazines for vices and cheap tools, all mail order.

Never thought that one day they would be a go to place instead of sears for tools, or that they would grow so big. (still never been in one.)

I don't know why sears stopped making craftsman in the US, but in Canada we started getting Chinese made craftsman tools in the mid 80's and it was obvious the quality was gone. Maybe that's why so many in Canada buy their tools at Canadian Tire now - still Chinese made but cheaper and with a better warranty.

So it's been 30 years now since craftsman went to **** for Canadians, and they've gotten over it. They simply buy their tools somewhere else. It's not like there's a lack of choices.

Sears made the decision to outsource, and it's killed them.
Harbour freight made the decision to expand and they're making a killing.

Let Sears die. No-one will lose any sleep over it any more.

 

[ssentt]

I'd like to see another brand (Armstrong or SK) absorb them and offer a craftsman USA made line. Anything less than another company taking control of the craftsman name is a sure death of the name sake. IMO

 

[monomach]

I'd like to see another brand (Armstrong or SK) absorb them and offer a craftsman USA made line. Anything less than another company taking control of the craftsman name is a sure death of the name sake. IMO

The company that makes Armstrong is already making most of the crappy Chinese craftsman stuff.

 

[J.A.Varela]

I posted a thread earlier. The future.
It's over up there.

 

[Cato]

I want to see Sears turn around - partially because I see one brave guy put his balls on the chopping block and trying work a miracle. Edward Lampert is buying up Sears stock with his own cash and making some hard decisions like closing stores and ******* off average joes like us with Chinese tools (which honestly are pretty decent). I'd like to see Lampert pull it off.

The truth of the matter is Sears can't compete selling only American tools with competition like HF and Home Depot out there who carry all or mostly Chinese tools.

Craftsman being ALL American is impractical too. I noticed Sears carries some German made pliers and Swiss made jig saw blades now - they can't give that up. For them to carry everything BUT Chinese tools would be overtly anti Chinese. A business exists to make money, not stand on a soapbox. Most people don't care where their tools come from, they just want the cheapest tool that can get the job done. This speaks to HF's success.

This isn't 1980, we have to forget those tv commercials from our childhood for Craftsman stating that all their tools are American.

 

[bonneyman]

I'd like to see the Craftsman name get bought out by Ideal Tools. Then, they can turn right around and have Western Forge (which they already own) start cranking out C-man tools the way they used to. Get rid of the gimmicky stuff - bring back the RHFT ratchet and other popular designs.
Create tons of jobs in Colorado, make a ton of money for Ideal, and bring back the USA legacy to Craftsman. Plus, the warranty would be kept in full effect, and rebuild kits would again become easy to get. Good deal all-around.

Look what they did with S-K.

 

[J.A.Varela]

I want to see Sears turn around - partially because I see one brave guy put his balls on the chopping block and trying work a miracle. Edward Lampert is buying up Sears stock with his own cash and making some hard decisions like closing stores and ******* off average joes like us with Chinese tools (which honestly are pretty decent). I'd like to see Lampert pull it off.

The truth of the matter is Sears can't compete selling only American tools with competition like HF and Home Depot out there who carry all or mostly Chinese tools.

Craftsman being ALL American is impractical too. I noticed Sears carries some German made pliers and Swiss made jig saw blades now - they can't give that up. For them to carry everything BUT Chinese tools would be overtly anti Chinese. A business exists to make money, not stand on a soapbox. Most people don't care where their tools come from, they just want the cheapest tool that can get the job done. This speaks to HF's success.

This isn't 1980, we have to forget those tv commercials from our childhood for Craftsman stating that all their tools are American.

BS. Sears can't appease the circus at the board of directors party without numbers. The clowns that own the stock in ALL of these companies don't give a damn about YOU---or the US.Lose the flag and the fanboy movie and do exactly what they do. Most bang for the buck.
It's referred to as capitalism. Evil enshrined on a stock ticker.

 

[jim1987]

Old yeller.

 

[quattroJoe]

I'd like to see another brand (Armstrong or SK) absorb them and offer a craftsman USA made line. Anything less than another company taking control of the craftsman name is a sure death of the name sake. IMO

My thoughts are similar. Sears is obviously not going to be around for long, and they're eventually going to have to sell the Craftsman name (either when they go under or when they can't pay the bills any longer.) I'm sure they'll just sell to the highest bidder, but I'd really like to see it go to a company that's committed to US production, and to continuing the hassle-free forever warranty. They could be the budget/non-pro line for a company like SK/Ideal, and sell through retailers that are higher class than Walmart and the like (though with HD and Lowe's having their own lines I'm at a loss for where.) They've got reputation and brand equity to bank on if they hurry before Sears completely ruins the name, and could be marketed as a step up from the import brands while still being more affordable than pro grade brands.

That's what I'd LIKE to see, but I doubt it will happen. DIYers have spoken with their wallets, the masses don't care about COO. Most pros will probably still buy truck brands or similar. I bet they get absorbed by Apex, though I don't know how they'd fold Cman into their portfolio. Not much room to position the brand between Gearwrench and Armstrong. Just pray the name doesn't get bought by Walmart... You think the Chinese tools are bad now, I'd hate to see what they'd do to them!

 

[Cato]

BS. Sears can't appease the circus at the board of directors party without numbers. The clowns that own the stock in ALL of these companies don't give a damn about YOU---or the US.Lose the flag and the fanboy movie and do exactly what they do. Most bang for the buck.
It's referred to as capitalism. Evil enshrined on a stock ticker.

Hey, don't get me wrong, it's not about the flag. I see no reason why an ineffective business model should survive. I don't expect any kind of "commercial" EBT in the form of inexpensive American tools guaranteed for life at my local Sears. I'm not going to cry a river if a rusty Craftsman wrench I find at a garage sale for $1 doesn't get replaced with a shiny new American one.

If our industry can't or won't make better and cheaper products, it's in no ones best interest to keep them cranking out clunky RP ratchets.

But what a story it would make if Lampert is able to fix Sears!

 

[Ign]

As much as I want to hate Sears, they have some decent innovation at times like the Nextec line and even the 19.2/C3 line.

Everyone is always obsessed about hand tools but some of the real innovation in the market right now is power tools, particularly cordless. Hand tools have been done, beaten to death and ARE hard to compete which is why Sears looked to China. Granted, power tools are all China, too. But Sears has some good ideas with their cordless line(s), it's just that they abandon them too quickly.

I'd like to see some smart people at the top turn around the power tool division and make Dewalt, Milwaukee and Makita pause for just a second. Sears will still have to hit a lower price point and appeal to the Bob-Vila weekend warriors, not pro's so much, but again, some of their Nextec stuff is real decent, esp considering the cost.

Now Sears/Craftsman is coming out with a heated jacket too, and a Bluetooth shop radio.

 

[PeterT]

I want to see Sears turn around - partially because I see one brave guy put his balls on the chopping block and trying work a miracle. Edward Lampert is buying up Sears stock with his own cash and making some hard decisions like closing stores and ******* off average joes like us with Chinese tools (which honestly are pretty decent). I'd like to see Lampert pull it off.

The truth of the matter is Sears can't compete selling only American tools with competition like HF and Home Depot out there who carry all or mostly Chinese tools.

Craftsman being ALL American is impractical too. I noticed Sears carries some German made pliers and Swiss made jig saw blades now - they can't give that up. For them to carry everything BUT Chinese tools would be overtly anti Chinese. A business exists to make money, not stand on a soapbox. Most people don't care where their tools come from, they just want the cheapest tool that can get the job done. This speaks to HF's success.

This isn't 1980, we have to forget those tv commercials from our childhood for Craftsman stating that all their tools are American.

I'll keep supporting Sears until there are no more American made Craftsman tools, after that my back is turned. When I hold an American made wrench in my hand it feels so much better then the Chinese version so think what you want, frankly I don't care.

 

[bobcatdan]

I would I like to see the craftsman name stay around on USA made tools, yes. That said, I rather see SK or Wright make a presence in brick and mortar stores.

 

[Exceller8]

I would like to see Craftsman spin off into a US only tool brand once again. You could then sell every other tool as a "Sears", "Evolv", etc... type tool. It will never happen in my lifetime but one can dream can't they.

Personally, I think Sears will be gone in a couple of years and all of this discussion will be moot.

 

[bczygan]

Voted for don't care.
Hardly ever shop there, but would if they had good stuff reasonable.
They are striving to be irrelevant, and succeeding.

 

[SMKS]

I suspect Craftsman can't win with many GJ members.

-They stay imported to keep costs low: "I don't want imported tools for the prices of USA-made Craftsman tools from a couple years ago."
-They bring back low-priced USA made tools of the quality they had a couple years ago: "These tools aren't nice enough. I see too many minor cosmetic flaws."
-They release nicer, more expensive tools: "These are too expensive. I can get Williams or Wright for almost the same price. Unless they're on super-closeout at Sears Outlet, then I'll buy 10 sets to sell on ebay."

I personally liked the low-priced USA made tools they had a couple years ago, minus the ratchets. They were ultra cheap for USA made tools. There were some QC issues, but they were always easy to fix for me with Sears.

My personal desire would be a line of basic, USA-made tools called something like "Craftsman Classic" that was more in line with what they had a couple years ago, but a little better quality. They could have a limited line of wrenches, sockets, ratchets (not the 36 tooth they've been using) that were USA made.

I bought a set of metric box wrenches a couple years ago and for the price (under $60) it was an amazing value.

This is sort of what they've done with Craftsman industrial, but those aren't super available.

 

[rice rocket]

I only shop there because they're throwing money at me. When they're gone, it won't be great for anyone except Home Depot and Lowe's. And JcPenney.

Consumers win when there's consumer choice.

 

[1950mercury]

You should have had an option for im tired of hearing about sears and they are not going to change bevause there are plenty of cheap people that dont care they are made in china...dead horse. Le

 

[Parrothead]

I keep hearing that people don't care where their tools are made, and for a good portion of people that's true. However, those customers who don't care are already gone and buying from other retailers. They're shopping at Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot. Where Sears miscalculated (based on metrics I am sure), is that the Craftsman customer DID care about where their tools were made, and they're driving them out the door. I think they looked at Home Depot and said...well they're successful selling Chinese tools, why can't we do that? What they didn't realize is, they have a slightly different customer. When given the choice between Chinese Kobalt or Chinese Craftsman...I'll buy whatever's cheap and from the store I am in most often. Since that's Lowes/Menards/Home Depot they're getting my money over Sears. When there was a reason to go to Sears (USA), I'd make the trip. Now it's no different than any other store.

 

[jrobb316]

I would like to see Sears restored to its former glory. I am however now over the fact that they have sold out the Craftsman line and I highly doubt its coming back. So what can you do but vote with your money and spend it elsewhere.

 

[nicksnothereman]

I reserve judgment. While the us made incidentals are typically better than the foreign counterparts (pliers, drivers, bits, etc) some of the import hand tools have surpassed the low end (non armstrong rebrand) danaher us made tools. No doubt about that in my mind. Maybe they should offer more of those tools, they carry some of them. They should also carry more "other" brands of tools with a mfg warranty (mfg covers the warranty) so they can offer professional quality tools as well as budget tools even if it's not craftsman branded.

 

[Cato]

I suspect Craftsman can't win with many GJ members.

You hit the nail on the head.

Most guys here are tool "connoisseurs." The best Sears could ever hope to do is sell low quality American tools - ie RP rachets and suffer ridicule. But even that model has flaws since the Chinese can make better, lower cost tools any day of the week. Even GJ guys are ditching Craftsman USA for Harbor Freight.

The only way Sears Craftsman can be viable is to sell Chinese tools, whether we like it or not. They have to become a mini Home Depot/Lowes/Harbor Freight.

Besides, I suspect a lot of guys here wouldn't be Sears customers anyway. Lots of us have enough tools to last many lifetimes. Younger guys will just go to Lowes, Home Depot, and Harbor Freight to build their tool chests. And of course the auto mechanics with their first line of credit will be mortgaging their future to the red and white ice cream truck.

 

[jcfields]

.

 

[expfcwintergreen]

Unfortunately, I don't believe the Craftsman guarantee is sustainable with American made hand tools in a world with flea markets, estate sales, Craig's List, Ebay and competition from Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Harbor Freight and Amazon.

I have always been very happy with Craftsman Professional and even the RP hand tools. I don't have to buy many tools these days, but I am mostly considering SK and Wright for future purchases.

 

[Pumpman1968]

I want Sears, in some way/shape or form, to continue....but first, they REALLY need to work on their websites.........

 

[ecotec]

I probably have more Craftsman USA tools in my box than any other brand. When my wife and I go to the mall, I go to the Sears tool dept. I will do that as long as it is there. There is nothing else in the mall for me.

There are still deals and gems at Sears. The Vaughan USA Craftsman hammers are nice. I really want the Craftsman version of the Lang/Kastar thread restorer set. It is a really great deal.

I most often leave empty handed these days.

I am willing to buy made in Taiwan tools, but not at made in USA prices. My most recent Craftsman purchase was the 3pc made in USA Wilde pry bar set. They are foreign made now. I will probably buy the two bigger ones from Harry Epstein instead of Sears. They are cheaper and made in USA.

I hope that Sears stays open, but I am not going to cry about if they do not. I will be bummed to not have a place to go while my wife shops at the mall.

 

[EOC_Jason]

What is dragging down Sears in general is they are trying to be the mega retailer, but simply can't compete with companies like Walmart, Target, Lowes, and HD. You go to a Sears in the mall and the only people walking around are employees. Every store has clothes, that can't be a major money maker. Every store has electronics, and when competitors have better selection and prices... yeah... Every store has small kitchen appliances, if you need a toaster, you just go to near-by walmart or target...

When people think of the name Sears, they think of functionality... The big kitchen and laundry appliances I would venture still sell decent for them. Obviously tools is their cornerstone...

My father went to the local Sears Hardware with his grandson (that just turned 15). They were going to put together a toolbox for his truck that they've been working on. Everything they looked at except maybe screwdrivers and one other thing were all Made in China... They didn't buy anything and just left...

Sears can continue to do as they have been, but going down that path they are just delaying the inevitable... The company needs to make a major change or they will end up as nothing more than a Wikipedia page about a company that once existed but is no more.

The only thing my local Sears Hardware has going for it is their nuts & bolts selection is second to none. Regular, zinc coated, stainless, chrome, sae, metric, hard-to-find misc... amazingly they have it all... When the store goes out of business, I'm so going to the auction to get all those nuts & bolts bins...

 

[Danglerb]

Sears killing itself with the death of a thousand cuts, so fixing one or two will not stop the flow of blood. They need strong savvy management that fixing everything.

Imagine what could be done if Amazon bought Sears and returned to remote order and free store pickup or cheap shipping that started Sears.

 

[MrJason]

every few weeks, there's another thread about sears, good, bad, whatever... i see folks posting how sears is doing this wrong or that wrong, i see people post about how they wish sears would get their act together, i see posts about bringing USA COO back, or just spinning off Craftsman, etc.

so, i thought I'd post a poll. Where do you want to see Sears/Craftsman go?

1. I want to see Sears/Craftsman restored to its former glory w/ made in USA tools
2. Sears/Craftsman can go to hell (go out of business completely), I've got other options for tools from HD/Lowes/HFT/Internet
3. I want them to spin off Craftsman into a tools specialty retail outlet and the rest of Sears can go to hell (out of business)
4. I don't care; I don't shop there and never will.

I'm going with 5.

5.) Sell off the brand to an established tool company, that can attempt to bring innovation and quality back to the moniker of Craftsman.

 

[rice rocket]

Except Sears/Craftsman isn't a tool company, its a marketing company. A tool company running a marketing company is worse than what they have now.

 

[MrJason]

Except Sears/Craftsman isn't a tool company, its a marketing company. A tool company running a marketing company is worse than what they have now.

I don't see how Craftsman is a marketing company. It's a flaccid brand, dying a slow death.

You sell off that brand, it may stand a chance to survive.

You don't, and Craftsman becomes a "infomercial only" brand within 10 years.

 

[franzdom]

I don't care where it goes as long as it goes.
It is too depressing. I so used to love this brand.

 

[JoeFin]

Imagine what could be done if Amazon bought Sears and returned to remote order and free store pickup or cheap shipping that started Sears.

Probably the most viable analogy - look at all the cheap Chinese made junk peddled on Eboner. Would be nice to have an outlet for reasonably priced dependable American quality tools.

But no logical thought can prevail where profit thirsty corporations can leverage stock options and force manufacturing overseas - even if it only increases profits in the short term and ultimately leads to the failure of the company/brand

At least the Board Member will get their quarterly bonus

 

[Ironcrow]

I guess it's time for Sears to move on. It's sad really. And Lampert. I hate his guts. Too bad the collapse of Sears won't pull him into the toilet too. His ilk always have a way of stepping in poop and coming out smelling like a rose.

 

[kythri]

Imagine what could be done if Amazon bought Sears and returned to remote order and free store pickup or cheap shipping that started Sears.

Man, given Amazon's desire to have actual showrooms and micro-distribution centers all over the place?

That would just be phenomenally awesome.

 

[rocklobster]

I don't care where it goes as long as it goes.
It is too depressing. I so used to love this brand.

^^^ This

I am a Canadian and I used to work in the US when I was young and starting my personal tool collection to fix cars. That store was a candy land compared to the **** the Canadians had/have at local sears stores...

I bought a **** load of USA made craftsman and I love all those tools. I wish I was wiser and had bought more. Craftsman USA tools have never let me down under regular designed usage.

I like the comment from the guy in MI saying that Sears/Craftsman is the only thing has when shopping at the mall. When I go to the stores with the family I split off and go to the tool/hunting sections of stores while she shops for whatever.