Recent content by Jcc76

I've got a really nagging question that I don't think has a really easy answer. Or maybe it does. A while back I purchased a Ridgid 15000 drill press. I bought it off Ebay from someone who had purchased it from Home Depot a long time ago and never assembled or used it. As far as I know...

I used to love Sears back in the day. Does anyone remember when they used to sell Icees and hot pretzels and popcorn from kiosks in the middle of the store? I was just a little kid back then, and was interested solely in the size of the toy section, but I can only imagine what the tool...

And if I'm not mistaken, the "global components" are merely the little spring between the two handles, and the round "pin" at the bottom of the vice grip. In addition, if the pin has a smooth face (rather than a hex key hole) then you probably have a 100% "Made in USA" vice grip which has...

You guys are awful. After reading the back and forth about the stubby wrenches, I decided to pop for them tonight. They better not be Chinese, though, or they're going right back!

This is probably the only example of a Craftsman hand tool that was once upon a time made in the U.S., was outsourced to China, came back, then went to FACOM in Europe, and then back to China. The Red/Black pliers are the same as the Gold/Black pliers from a few years ago. Both were made in...

I hate to burst anyone's bubble here, but little to none of those parts on that Ridgid page are still available. When I first bought my table saw about 2 years ago, I called Ridgid and tried to buy the fence/rails setup and the Herculift. I was told they were no longer available. That being...

I'm not sure where I read this, but since the saw industry mandated plastic blade guards on all new table saws (about 2006 or so), there have been ZERO injuries from table saws which were so equipped. Has anyone heard this? If so, it would mean that the "Sawstop" is perhaps not as necessary as...

IlliniBone, Buying a table saw nowadays is a challenge. You've got the high-end stuff which is completely out of your price range, and then the low-end, made out of plastic, portable saws. I'll tell you right now that Ridgid saw is going to be hard to find. If your local Home Depot doesn't...

Yes, thanks for posting this catalog. It was a fun read. But, also interesting in that it sheds a lot of light on the current state of the tool industry. What strikes me about all of the tools in the catalog is how expensive they are, considering the time. Even in 1969, these legendary...

If the Vice-Grips are in a box, and made by American Tool or Petersen, then they are Made-in-USA, absolutely guaranteed. If they are in a yellow clamshell (made by Irwin/Rubbermaid) then there should be a little logo on the front which says "Made in USA" or "Made in USA using Global...

I'd agree with everyone else here. Your best bet is NOS vice grips. My advice to you is to start looking. Here are some suggestions: 1) Sears stores which don't get much traffic, especially "Sears Hardware" stores. 2) Mom & Pop independent hardware stores, especially "True Value" ones. 3)...

I'm still a huge Craftsman supporter. That being said, I can name all my Chinese-made Craftsman tools on one hand: 1) My C-Pro Bench Grinder - bought this because it was about 50% off and Sears has been making bench grinders in China for almost 20 years now. Before that it was Mexico. I'm...

Funny you should say that. I ended up buying that mini pliers set on Ebay and was surprised, to say the least, that it was Chinese, and based on the outside box, the graphics screamed early 1990's. I ended up giving the set to my little brother, who didn't give a rip where it was made...

Hey, Not to start another complaint thread about Chinese Craftsman tools, but I was surprised to find they've been making stuff there for quite some time. Like many of you, I try to avoid buying "Made in China" stuff as much as possible, but sometimes it just seems unavoidable. For instance...

I'm mixed when it comes to Unions. They serve a purpose, and they're largely responsible for securing benefits and workers' rights that many of us take for granted. That being said, the most powerful Union in this country is the SEIU, and they're all a bunch of office workers. A lot of large...