Interesting aspects of the Sears-Stanley Craftsman deal:
http://nypost.com/2017/01/25/craftsman-trademark-change-may-confuse-customers/
http://nypost.com/2017/01/25/craftsman-trademark-change-may-confuse-customers/
Is this tool a Craftsman...or a crapsman?
- Thread starter JoeMA
- Start date
Ree75
Well-known member
I've broken a lot of Stanley ****. Usually within minutes of first use. So the continued legacy of crapsman will continue I think
four.cycle
Well-known member
Interesting.... so Sears and SBD will be outsourcing Craftsman from different sources?
Given SBD's track record my guess is that the level of product quality will continue to dwindle, just as it has with Sears Craftsman.
So, no big surprise - pretty much what I had expected.
Given SBD's track record my guess is that the level of product quality will continue to dwindle, just as it has with Sears Craftsman.
So, no big surprise - pretty much what I had expected.
What i want to know is if the tools are gonna have a lfetime warranty still and if i buy a new "craftsman" ratchet from Walmart and i break it, does Walmart replace the ratchet on the spot like Sears would do?
Right now if you buy a Stanley ratchet from Walmart,and you break it, i dont think you return it to Walmart do you?
Right now if you buy a Stanley ratchet from Walmart,and you break it, i dont think you return it to Walmart do you?
rsanter
Well-known member
This is different than I though it was going to be.
Sounds to me like a cluster they will both **** up when it comes to warranty.
I can see the dumb *** Sears employees saying.....we don't warranty that, you have to go see SBD. Even when it is really theirs.
And the same for SBD
Bob
Sounds to me like a cluster they will both **** up when it comes to warranty.
I can see the dumb *** Sears employees saying.....we don't warranty that, you have to go see SBD. Even when it is really theirs.
And the same for SBD
Bob
sberry
Banned
I agree, lots of dumb ideas in one place.
anndel
Well-known member
Craftsman and SBD known for single use disposable tools.
woody 73
Well-known member
So sad I gave up on both companies long ago, what are they teaching all these new kids in MBA programs how to race to the bottom of the barrel in jet packs ?
SB&D has recently stated the CM brand is a "Value" brand.
As I predicted in the other thread, this dual sourcing scheme will be a competition within the CM branding or a continuation of the race to bottom. I expect dual source CM power tools several years before any alternate source hand tools appear. so I wait to see the priority placed on the brand by the position within SB&D own brands E.g. DeWalt / B&D, to be the bellwether of CM future quality. Hope remains.
As I predicted in the other thread, this dual sourcing scheme will be a competition within the CM branding or a continuation of the race to bottom. I expect dual source CM power tools several years before any alternate source hand tools appear. so I wait to see the priority placed on the brand by the position within SB&D own brands E.g. DeWalt / B&D, to be the bellwether of CM future quality. Hope remains.
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visionguru
Well-known member
I'm curious, what did you do and what did you break? I think you are exaggerating.
visionguru
Well-known member
50% of my tools are Craftsman. I always thought Craftsman is a upper middle grade brand. Some of Craftsman tools are superb in quality, while some of them are not so good. It's pretty hard to position the whole product line. It would be sad if B&D down grade CM as value brand.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Make as in manufacture ? I don't think Sears/Craftsman ever "made" anything.
Yeah. Right. Sure.
American Locomotive
Well-known member
Craftsman was a "decent tools at a decent price" brand. You got quality items, at low prices, but they were generally pretty basic feature or performance wise. That started to go away during the mid 90s with their power tools and lawn equipment and other stuff getting cheap.
Basically the worse Sears did, the worse Craftsman did. Their hand tools started to suffer starting in the mid-late 2000s, and the final blow was in ~2013 when they off-shored ALL of their socket and ratchet production.
Their sockets and ratchets were always a safe bet, but once they went to China, why bother? Just get kobalt at that point.
They have a lot of junky brands but Mac, Proto and Facom are all part of SBD.
Schurkey
Well-known member
Facom towards the top, and ChiCom at the bottom.
Ree75
Well-known member
It's been years since I have bought stanley ****. But the last one I brke was a pair of needle nose pliers. about 3/4" of one of the tips broke off and flew somewhere. I wasn't twisting them, I might have had a double hand grip on them as I was trying to fish a seized rod out of a hole. I didn't warranty them out, the nearest place was over an hour away, but I held on to them. Another mechanic borrowed them and he ground of the tips to match, they did make an okay set of pliers after that
Empty Pockets
Well-known member
What everyone is forgetting, the average DIY tool user thinks that CM and Stanley are both quality tool brands. I think SBD is counting on that to get what they can out of the CM brand, before running it completely into the ground.
I have resigned myself to the fact that when a CM tool fails( rare though that may be), it will go into the scrap bucket, as the warranty no longer has any value, already
I have resigned myself to the fact that when a CM tool fails( rare though that may be), it will go into the scrap bucket, as the warranty no longer has any value, already
drink
Well-known member
I have resigned myself to the fact that when a CM tool fails( rare though that may be), it will go into the scrap bucket, as the warranty no longer has any value, already
I kind of feel the same way. The last time I tried to get warranty service on a brand new defective Craftsman tool I purchased at Sears I was asked to show proof of purchase. I didn't want to have to go all the way back home, find the receipt, and go back either. At times I wonder if they changed the name to Whee Cheatham & Howe.
After waiting about a quarter of a year to get a new tool ordered in to replace the defective tool I tried another Sears store about 20 miles away. The salesperson had enough of a brain to give a no hassle exchange. Several days passed and the original store I tried to get warranty service to begin with called and said my tool was ready for pick up.
Oh, and I bought the tool that came in just to get rid of the problem.
I kind of feel the same way. The last time I tried to get warranty service on a brand new defective Craftsman tool I purchased at Sears I was asked to show proof of purchase. I didn't want to have to go all the way back home, find the receipt, and go back either. At times I wonder if they changed the name to Whee Cheatham & Howe.
After waiting about a quarter of a year to get a new tool ordered in to replace the defective tool I tried another Sears store about 20 miles away. The salesperson had enough of a brain to give a no hassle exchange. Several days passed and the original store I tried to get warranty service to begin with called and said my tool was ready for pick up.
Oh, and I bought the tool that came in just to get rid of the problem.
drink
Well-known member
I don't know what some of you are thinking when you talk about DIY's or lower quality. My made in USA Stanley hand tools have taken a beating and none of them have broken so far. The picture shows a few of my Stanley tools I had in my carpenter's tool belt. These tools always worked good and they never failed. I got them at Home Depot back in 1990.
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Parrothead
Well-known member
My guess is you bought their **** stuff. I've owned some of that stuff too. Their standard 3/8 ratchet comes to mind in addition to their $2.99 screwdriver set. However, I've also owned the Stanley 100 plus screwdrivers and I like them. There are others on here who agree. They've been making them for years. I've got some torx and hex socket sets that have held up well even being abused in the junkyard. Point being, every brand has their strengths and weaknesses, the key is picking the gems.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ and you bought your "made in USA Stanley" in what year? 
Maybe I'm just jaded because every Black & Decker power tool I ever owned failed in fairly short order - two or three years under "normal homeowner use", not 5-days-a-week on a construction site use. I probably went through 8 B&D electric hand-drill motors before I finally gave up and bought a little Ryobi for about $30 that I beat the piss out of for over 10 years before it finally bit the dust. (Actually it worked fine, but the on/off switch was stuck in the "on" position, so I gave it away on CL.)
You might want to go actually look at current-production Stanley hanging on the tool rack at your nearest hardware store. I think you might be disappointed.
Maybe I'm just jaded because every Black & Decker power tool I ever owned failed in fairly short order - two or three years under "normal homeowner use", not 5-days-a-week on a construction site use. I probably went through 8 B&D electric hand-drill motors before I finally gave up and bought a little Ryobi for about $30 that I beat the piss out of for over 10 years before it finally bit the dust. (Actually it worked fine, but the on/off switch was stuck in the "on" position, so I gave it away on CL.)
You might want to go actually look at current-production Stanley hanging on the tool rack at your nearest hardware store. I think you might be disappointed.
SnapOnToolsGreen
Banned
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2017
- Messages
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I got a lot of older craftsman USA I bought for pennies and never used too much to count was brought up thinking craftsman was good but it was over rated. My MIL is die hard craftsman from decor to lawn equipment, power tools and everything else she thinks she has a fortune in tools and think they are like snap on, told her it's all made in China pretty much now she said basically I'm an idiot and don't know shot hahah didn't even argue she's also a tool thief from hell she thinks I have next to nothing lol but not the case I got a new snap on box full of nothing but pro and industrial brands mainly snap on or Mac and I got enough for 5 people at least sites like these like this ruined me there was a time I didn't even think about a tool brand whether that do I have the particular tool I need now wife's about to kill me.
sberry
Banned
Sears tried to sell brand name appliances along side Kenmore,,,, whats wrong with that picture? Had the brand on sale next to full price Sears, same for tools, duh. Looks like they are going to do the same thing again and probably wonder why it doesn't work. I got to wonder where they get their marketing people?
Parrothead
Well-known member
^ and you bought your "made in USA Stanley" in what year?
Maybe I'm just jaded because every Black & Decker power tool I ever owned failed in fairly short order - two or three years under "normal homeowner use", not 5-days-a-week on a construction site use. I probably went through 8 B&D electric hand-drill motors before I finally gave up and bought a little Ryobi for about $30 that I beat the piss out of for over 10 years before it finally bit the dust. (Actually it worked fine, but the on/off switch was stuck in the "on" position, so I gave it away on CL.)
You might want to go actually look at current-production Stanley hanging on the tool rack at your nearest hardware store. I think you might be disappointed.
I'm just using the Plus 100's as an example because I am familiar with them and they're made in the US. Pretty sure the torx bits were made in Taiwan, as were the hex bits. I've had plenty of sockets over the years too, and they've never let me down.
I equate Stanley to Harbor Freight...some of it's junk, most is serviceable, and some are real gems! Plus Stanley at least has some USA tools.
I have a 20v lithium string trimmer that I use HARD, and it's been great. This year will be year 3 so I guess I need to keep my fingers crossed.
visionguru
Well-known member
I'd rate Stanley higher than Harbor Freight. Next time you visit Harbor Freight, take a look at the wrench section. Many of the combination wrenches are Made in India.
I went to Sears to pick up tool boxes last weekend and looked at Craftsman tools. Most of their hand tools are of good quality, I'd say a lot better than Harbor Freight.
The only screw driver I broke is a Stanley Made in USA, the metal seems on the brittle side. So, Made in USA is no guarantee for quality.
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Those yellow and black handled Stanley drivers were bottom tier homeowner grade tools. By the price & a name that escapes me*, it was pretty clear you weren't getting a premium product ) You can see at least it chipped not bent.
Sure Stanley had much better quality than Taiwan stuff even at these lower price points.
edit* looked the name up "Thrifty" series
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Parrothead
Well-known member
As a general rule I'd probably agree. You're right about the combo wrenches, but the ratcheting wrenches are Gearwrench clones are as good as the real thing. There's some other things like some of the screwdrivers that are on par with the FatMax stuff, or better.
That depends on what you're comparing. The HF ratchet is way better than any Stanley ratchet I've ever used. The sockets are better than most. The Pittsburgh Pro stuff is good, some of the other stuff...not so much.
We're taking about two entirely different screwdriver sets. Those were the $2.99 junk I was referencing. These are what I'm talking about
http://www.stanleytools.com/product...ers/sets/8-pc-100-plus-screwdriver-set/66-158
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
HF has UPPED the quality of a lot of their hand tolos.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I hate those things ! They go right in the trash !!
Parrothead
Well-known member
Yank the blades and use them as file handles
The only thing I can think of that I've ever liked from Stanley is their tape measures....
Just picked up another one several months ago when I noticed they were made again in USA. Very happy with my purchase..
But I would never buy any other tool from them though....
Just picked up another one several months ago when I noticed they were made again in USA. Very happy with my purchase..
But I would never buy any other tool from them though....
yamaha0343
Well-known member
I haven't seen one lately, but the Dewalt ratchets that were out for awhile were actually pretty nice. I think the only Stanley branded tool in my box right now is a Fatmax tape measure though.
I think as a general rule, Dont buy **** at Walmart seems to work out for me. Walmart Stanley and Lowes/Home Depot Stanley look and feel like totally different tools.
hangfirew8
Well-known member
I was about to piss and moan about Craftsman, when I remembered I bought their relatively new 10-way slide hammer kit just a few days ago. It wasn't a hard decision. It's made in Taiwan. It's the exact same set as the OTC 4579, including the case, except the hammer part has a different shape and cruder chrome finish, and somehow they get 10-ways out of the exact same parts count as OTC's 9-way set. 
Best of all I got it for $41 after SYW points.
So like everything else, the jury is out on any new SB&D/Craftsman product until someone (usually at GJ) take the plunge and tries it out. If you want to stay out of that mess, I respect that. At the mid-level for auto specialty tools I've had really good success with OTC. Not everything they make is perfect, but I've gotten really good value so far. For hard-line tools, I refer you to our regularly scheduled debates.
Best of all I got it for $41 after SYW points.
So like everything else, the jury is out on any new SB&D/Craftsman product until someone (usually at GJ) take the plunge and tries it out. If you want to stay out of that mess, I respect that. At the mid-level for auto specialty tools I've had really good success with OTC. Not everything they make is perfect, but I've gotten really good value so far. For hard-line tools, I refer you to our regularly scheduled debates.
taumac
Well-known member
I still go to Sears and buy Craftsman. One reason is the warranty. Ok hear me out for a second... I bought a Gearwrench from Sears. I broke it (misuse) and went to go back for replacement and nope cause didn't have a receipt for tool I got few years ago. So if has Craftsman on it I bring it to Sears and get replacement even if rebuilt I get something. I found older locking pliers that spring broke and even though didn't have same version I had I got a Craftsman replacement right off shelf. Haven't replaced a ratchet in awhile since I have breaker bars and use ratchets easier now. Kobalt and Husky are decent brands but what happens went it breaks and can't get another or no longer carry it. Its something to consider.
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hangfirew8
Well-known member
Caveat- I stopped buying Craftsman because of the warranty. Don't have it in Open Stock, won't break a set for me, the warranty is useless. Maybe if you broke something useless like the 9mm or 11mm socket they'll have it in Open Stock.
nickelmore
Well-known member
The SBD warranty is smoke and mirrors. You pay postage to send them into a "mystery North Carolina. No direct phone number, no direct email, NO communication.
Sometimes you get a new tool returned or your broken tool returned (on their dime) if they feel it was not due to a manufacturer defect.
Better than HF yes, disposable.....yes. And there other lines dewault, proto etc are the same horse of a different color.
Sometimes you get a new tool returned or your broken tool returned (on their dime) if they feel it was not due to a manufacturer defect.
Better than HF yes, disposable.....yes. And there other lines dewault, proto etc are the same horse of a different color.
Parrothead
Well-known member
That has not been my experience, not at all. Called the phone number, gave the model # and they sent me a new ratchet. Didn't have to mail anything in and no headache at all. The same thing happened again to the replacement ratchet and I told them to send me something better because this was going to be my third Stanley ratchet. They sent me a Rotator ratchet instead of a standard ratchet. I thought that was reasonable since I didn't want the same old thing and it was a more expensive tool.