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Craftsman News Roundup

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dogdog

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Nov 15, 2011
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There is another term for competing with yourself. It's called market share, and you would be surprised at the lengths companies go to to increase it.

hmmm not sure, I think each case is different....like I said it would be interesting to see...
 

kythri

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Lebanon, OR
I thought I read some news article posted here ............

Back in March, Ryobi Limited (Ryobi Japan) announced that it was selling its power tools division to Kyocera. It was incorrectly posted here that TTI lost/sold that business, but that post was incorrect.

Ryobi USA, Ryobi Europe, Ryobi Australia and Ryobi New Zealand were already owned by TTI since the early 2000's, and not subject to anything that Ryobi Limited was doing.

The TTI ownership of Ryobi remains unchanged.

Ryobi Limited was never part of TTI, and TTI was never part of Ryobi. Ryobi Limited did formerly own the brand in the markets that it sold to TTI, but that's the only connection.
 
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dogdog

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Nov 15, 2011
Messages
12,711
Back in March, Ryobi Limited (Ryobi Japan) announced that it was selling its power tools division to Kyocera. It was incorrectly posted here that TTI lost/sold that business, but that post was incorrect.

Ryobi USA, Ryobi Europe, Ryobi Australia and Ryobi New Zealand were already owned by TTI since the early 2000's, and not subject to anything that Ryobi Limited was doing.

The TTI ownership of Ryobi remains unchanged.

Ryobi Limited was never part of TTI, and TTI was never part of Ryobi. Ryobi Limited did formerly own the brand in the markets that it sold to TTI, but that's the only connection.

LOL..... :headscrat:headscrat:headscrat:headscrat:headscrat:headscrat too much beesnest...talk
 

teejaywhy

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A new Ace hardware just opened nearby so I stopped in Friday to have a look. Craftsman tools there as they have had for a while now, but what caught my eye were crescent wrenches and pliers labelled USA.
 

Tom White

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May 21, 2015
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A new Ace hardware just opened nearby so I stopped in Friday to have a look. Craftsman tools there as they have had for a while now, but what caught my eye were crescent wrenches and pliers labelled USA.

It would be nice to see the Crescent brand return to US production. Is that what you mean, or are you saying Craftsman brand crescent style wrenches and pliers?
 

teejaywhy

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It would be nice to see the Crescent brand return to US production. Is that what you mean, or are you saying Craftsman brand crescent style wrenches and pliers?

Sorry, for the confusion. These were CRAFTSMAN pliers and adjustable wrenches.
 

Tom White

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May 21, 2015
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Sorry, for the confusion. These were CRAFTSMAN pliers and adjustable wrenches.

Any confusion was at least partially my fault. Anyway, do you have any idea if the US made tools were NOS (new-old stock) from the sears craftsman days, or the new SBD made Craftsman. You might be able to tell if their is a WF (standing for Western Forge) stamped on them. That stamping would indicate they were from the sears line-up.

It would be news if SBD has already started making their versions in the US.
 

teejaywhy

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Any confusion was at least partially my fault. Anyway, do you have any idea if the US made tools were NOS (new-old stock) from the sears craftsman days, or the new SBD made Craftsman. You might be able to tell if their is a WF (standing for Western Forge) stamped on them. That stamping would indicate they were from the sears line-up.

It would be news if SBD has already started making their versions in the US.

That is kind of why I posted this. Wondering if these are new made in USA tools.

It is a newly opened Ace store, so if it's NOS, they came from somewhere else.

I took a couple of pics. (trying figure out how to upload them...) Also, I will compare to my craftsman tools purchased in the mid 80's.
 

Y00PER

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Keweenaw Peninsula, MI
Back of the package, or on the label (depending how they are displayed) should say something in regards to sold by Sears Brand Management, or Sears Roebuck & Co. on it if it's Sears NOS. My local Sears Hometown doesn't have any pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers left that are made in USA, though they do have some sockets. But the 2 Ace stores (one which just switched over from Tru Value this month) both have U.S. made screwdrivers and nut drivers, as well as some pliers and such, that are labeled Sears on the back
 
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teejaywhy

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Here are some pics of the tools I saw at ACE.

20180920_190041_resized.jpg

20180920_190101_resized.jpg

Looks like old packaging. I saw something on the website with what looks like new packaging with a MADE IN USA on the outside.
 

teejaywhy

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What do you think about this? Different style packaging that says Made in US on the hang tag. This from the Sears website.

spin_prod_1155529512.jpg
 

Tom White

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Agreed. Sears part numbers in the top right of the packaging and those adjustable look suspiciously like my USA made Crescent.

I'll chime in with another confirmation about those being NOS from Sears Craftsman. Nothing wrong with them. Pliers from Western Forge and adjustables from Crescent. You can do worse.

If those are at a decent price, I wouldn't hesitate to buy them.
 

Tom White

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What do you think about this? Different style packaging that says Made in US on the hang tag. This from the Sears website.

spin_prod_1155529512.jpg

Those would also be Sears Craftsman. I really doubt you will see SBD Craftsman on the Sears website.
 

Jtels85

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Ace Hardware has been selling Craftsman for a number of years now, long before the China switch in 2011. I made it a point last year to spend an entire day driving around southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, hopping from Ace for Ace. What I found would make most of the eBay scalpers **** a brick. I spent damn near $900 that day on NOS USA Craftsman tools. Socket sets, wrenches, ratchets, Craftsman Professional screwdrivers, impact sockets, even got a USA made 3/4 socket set and a 300 and something piece USA mechanic set in the black case with the red pull out trays. If you hunt around enough... you’ll still find a lot of this stuff.

I read awhile back on here that Ace has their own warehouse and it’s full of Craftsman tools, some of which may still be USA made, new old stock. I just found a 3/8 universal joint at Ace a few weekends ago that wasn’t there previously.
 

teejaywhy

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What do you think about this? Different style packaging that says Made in US on the hang tag. This from the Sears website.

spin_prod_1155529512.jpg

I asked about these because I got an email telling me they had a price reduction ($~15) so I ordered them for store pickup. What they had for me were the chinese ones packaged in the folding plastic pouch. Perhaps my hopes were teased a bit.

I think the tools in that new packaging are what we in computer sales call vaporware.
 

teejaywhy

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Ace Hardware has been selling Craftsman for a number of years now, long before the China switch in 2011. I made it a point last year to spend an entire day driving around southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, hopping from Ace for Ace. What I found would make most of the eBay scalpers **** a brick. I spent damn near $900 that day on NOS USA Craftsman tools. Socket sets, wrenches, ratchets, Craftsman Professional screwdrivers, impact sockets, even got a USA made 3/4 socket set and a 300 and something piece USA mechanic set in the black case with the red pull out trays. If you hunt around enough... you’ll still find a lot of this stuff.

I read awhile back on here that Ace has their own warehouse and it’s full of Craftsman tools, some of which may still be USA made, new old stock. I just found a 3/8 universal joint at Ace a few weekends ago that wasn’t there previously.

Is ACE pricing is competitive? It seems to be aligned to the non-sale Sears prices. Although I guess if it is truly NOS, the price could be whatever they ask. Would it be fair to compare with other USA made moderately priced lines like Channel Lock?
 

Jtels85

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Is ACE pricing is competitive? It seems to be aligned to the non-sale Sears prices. Although I guess if it is truly NOS, the price could be whatever they ask. Would it be fair to compare with other USA made moderately priced lines like Channel Lock?

I don’t think anyone at Ace is aware, nor cares what the country of origin is with the tools. The vast majority of stock in-store and at the warehouse (if that’s how this works) is older stuff (USA and China) that they have likely been sitting on it for years. Even in the stores, the tools and packages are covered in a layer of dust. Nobody really goes to Ace to buy Craftsman tools.

The prices appear to be anywhere from 10-20% higher than what Sears retails the same item for. You’re going to pay for it at Ace, that’s for sure. My local Ace still had some of the 60 tooth, thin profile ratchets that were made for a couple years in between the USA models and when the 84 tooth models were released... stamped (L-AA and L-AB). Those date back to 2011-2013... been hanging on the peg in the display case for a longgggggggggg time.

One Ace I’m aware of still has a New Old Stock USA made raised panel 8 Pc. ratcheting wrench set in metric for $79.99. It’s worth it if you’re a collector, but as a functional tool, they’re absolute garbage. 36 teeth and very clunky. They’re worth their weight in scrap IMO. Nobody’s bought them yet and I don’t think there’s enough meat left on the bone for me to plop down $80 and waste my time reselling it.

Keep in mind, this isn’t all Ace stores that have NOS USA made Craftsman. I’ve visited some that have only China made tools. Some locations carry Crescent tools instead of Craftsman. Some are still saturated with USA stuff. I’ve cherry picked what I can from a couple dozen locations that I’ve traveled to. There’s still some stuff left... you just have to take the time and go hunt for it.

Sorry to be long winded.
 
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