Craftsman Innovation

[Fedwrench]

While working out on the eliptical machine at the gym today, I was pondering the new tools Craftsman released lately and I tried to remember the last new tool Craftsman came out with that was US made. I could only come up with the ratcheting Cross Force Wrench and that was a couple of years ago. Everything else from the ratcheting open end wrenches, the dual ratcheting wrenches, the ratcheting elbow wrenches, the spline wrenches both fixed and ratcheting, the indexable pry bar, and the dogbone are all from China. Did I miss a new US made tool?
I swung by Sears today to see if there was anything I couldn't live without. there wasn't but, I did notice that they had some of the new Chinese made flare nut wrenches out in open stock. Craftsman has learned well from the tool truck brands and there is no country of origin on the wrench itself. The made in China is in super small print on the back of the tag and the price seemed fairly high to me, $17.99 for a single 9 x 11 flare wrench.

 

[wrenchr]

The spline wrenches at first had big china stamped on them but the set I bought does not.

 

[Merkava_4]

The made in China is in super small print on the back of the tag and the price seemed fairly high to me, $17.99 for a single 9 x 11 flare wrench.

$17.99 for a Chinese wrench? ... F*** that.

 

[MattT]

Has Craftsman ever invented anything? Serious question because I thought they just bought in tools designed by tool companies.

the price seemed fairly high to me, $17.99 for a single 9 x 11 flare wrench.

I think you're being nice there. A student could probably get SO cheaper.

 

[Merkava_4]

Has Craftsman ever invented anything? Serious question because I thought they just bought in tools designed by tool companies.

Craftsman is just a brand name owned by Sears - they don't make anything. Martha Stewart is a brand name too, and we all know she don't make sheets.

 

[boybacon]

Wrencher, do the new ones have any indication of the country where they were made? Most of the "innovation" tools I have seen have all been from China. Elsewhere on the board there is mention that the new (although with same part number) flare nut wrenches are made in China as well.

 

[Merkava_4]

Of course they're made in China. SK used to be the contractor for Craftsman flare wrenches but they closed shop. And Danaher probably told Sears they can't make flare wrenches for the cheap *** prices that Sears wants them to be.

 

[MattT]

Craftsman is just a brand name owned by Sears - they don't make anything.

Merk,

I know Craftsman don't make anything. I was wondering whether they'd ever designed any new tools then had them made.

 

[Fedwrench]

Has Craftsman ever invented anything? Serious question because I thought they just bought in tools designed by tool companies.

You are correct that their mechanics hand tools are supplied by Danaher and others such as screwdriver by Western Forge and that their line may have cosmetic features to make them Craftsman but, their isn't reall a Craftsman factory.
Your post reminded me to consider other new tools that have appeared from other brands. Snap on brought us the Dual 80 series ratchets, low profile socket sets, and the 100 tooth roto ratchet. Although these tools lack the USA embossed on them, they are said to be US made. SK released some updated torque wrenches and that's about it. Cornwell brought us a single version of a 72 tooth ratchet. Mac introduced Facom palm control ratchet clones, and a few Facom tools. Matco gave us the 88 tooth ratchets. Gearwrench probably had the biggest expansion of any tool line adding everything from trim tools, impact sockets, tool storage and various fixed and ratcheting wrenches. However, their expansion came with the demise of the hand tool section of K-D tools. I'm not saying that any of the new tools are bad, I'm just saying that the bulk of new mechanics hand tools coming out are no longer US made. I probably missed some new tools and I'm only talking about mechanics hand tools but, it just feels wierd that most new products won't be made here.

 

[Indy_500]

quit feeding the trolls Buy Craftsman if that's what you need/want. Buy Snap-on if that's what you need/want. Buy HF if that's what you need/want. Just because it's imported don't mean it's worse, gearwrench is pretty flippin amazing and it's 100% imported.

 

[wrenchr]

Wrencher, do the new ones have any indication of the country where they were made? Most of the "innovation" tools I have seen have all been from China. Elsewhere on the board there is mention that the new (although with same part number) flare nut wrenches are made in China as well.

They are china for sure, the packaging said so but it is not on the wrenches I bought.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

A student could probably get SO cheaper.

Which does a non-student absolutely no good.

 

[FordToughF250]

$17.99 for a Chinese wrench? ... F*** that.

haha ya, I bought a matco 1/2 x 9/16 flare nut wrench for 5 bucks and 5 bucks shipping on ebay, almost new

 

[bchee]

are all from China. Did I miss a new US made tool?
I swung by Sears today to see if there was anything I couldn't live without. there wasn't but, I did notice that they had some of the new Chinese made flare nut wrenches out in open stock.

Innovation and where it's made are different things, I believe.
I think all the new Craftsman wrenches you mentioned are innovative.

If they were designed by Craftsman engineers here in the US, but made overseas, I think you could still call it Craftsman innovation, no?

by the way I did see those new flare nut wrench you mentioned (with offset heads). There were no old US sets available, but there were still open stock singles of the US wrenches. Are you sure the singles you saw were the new Chinese made ones?

 

[MattT]

Innovation and where it's made are different things, I believe. I think all the new Craftsman wrenches you mentioned are innovative.

If they were designed by Craftsman engineers here in the US, but made overseas, I think you could still call it Craftsman innovation, no?

To be "Craftsman innovation" the wrenches have to be unique to Craftsman. I don't know about the rest but the ratcheting OE is a Gearwrench design with Craftsman stamped on it.

Agreed COO has nothing to do with innovation. I'd just really like to know whether Craftsman has ever innovated anything or if they just sell re-badged OEM's designs.

 

[hammergodthor]

Of course they're made in China. SK used to be the contractor for Craftsman flare wrenches but they closed shop. And Danaher probably told Sears they can't make flare wrenches for the cheap *** prices that Sears wants them to be.

BINGO, sort of. A coworker of mine bought these about a year ago and they're made in China/Taiwan (can't remember which one). As long as Dahaner is making them in Asia, they should be able to supply Sears on the cheap.

I haven't even considered buying from Matco since, assuming all future warranty replacements will be Asian. Same view for Crapsman for me.

For innovation, I agree with Fedwrench. The only "innovation" I see is from SO or a foreign company, probably with foreign engineers designing the tool.

 

[Mike83]

Everything else from the ratcheting open end wrenches, the dual ratcheting wrenches, the ratcheting elbow wrenches, the spline wrenches both fixed and ratcheting, the indexable pry bar, and the dogbone are all from China.

Not totally true. I bought the double open end ratcheting wrenches and they are made in Taiwan, which I think may be a step up from China for most people.

 

[Crash913]

quit feeding the trolls

Got that right

 

[Fedwrench]

I guess innovation was the wrong choice of words. I don't think there is such a thing as a Craftsman tool engineer. I don't think there is a tool that is uniquely Craftsman, just Craftsman versions. There are buyers and sellers. The tool manufacturers, take Danaher for example, they develop a new product then market a lower cost version to Sears who sells it under the Craftsman banner. I was trying to think of new tools that have come out recently that were both new and US made. It's not a question of troll feeding, it's more a question of what's new from this country. I guess it was a bad idea I had while suffering from a lack of oxygen on the eliptical, sorry to bother you guys.

 

[Diesel-Mech]

quit feeding the trolls Buy Craftsman if that's what you need/want. Buy Snap-on if that's what you need/want. Buy HF if that's what you need/want. Just because it's imported don't mean it's worse, gearwrench is pretty flippin amazing and it's 100% imported.

Nah GW torque wrenches are American made.