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 got a great deal on a NIB Craftsman Professional 6 1/8 inch jointer that was made about 10 years ago. Even though it was Chinese, the guy on Craigslist who sold it to me only wanted $225 for it, and it was the standing model with the motor inside the enclosed cabinet.
Same with the drill presses. They've been making them in China since at least the beginning of this century. And the Ridgid (Emerson) I ended up buying was built in 1998 or 1999, and even the motor was made in China. This is not the Orange model either, it's the old Gray one.
And then this morning, I saw this on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CRAFTSMAN-6...ltDomain_0&hash=item20d6c5c037#ht_5508wt_1141
I was initially interested, because I was looking for a grinder for my workshop. A few days ago, I bought a Craftsman Professional because it was on sale for $129, and I had a $20-off coupon. It was Chinese, but there's literally no other option if you want a brand new grinder. I haven't unpacked the new grinder yet, so I thought I could return it if I was able to win this auction.
But then, notice in the picture that the Ebay grinder is also "Made in China" and the Sears sticker on the box is dated "02/03/1994"! I had no idea Sears has been importing product from Mainland China for almost 20 years!! Maybe this was the first of the wave. But I've seen Craftsman tool sets that clearly date from the early 1990's or even the late 1980's that were made there. And last weekend I noticed my father's 3-ton Sears/Craftsman jack, which he has had for years, if not a couple decades, is "Made in China"
Point is, this is not a new thing. It's just gotten worse in the last 5 years or so.
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 got a great deal on a NIB Craftsman Professional 6 1/8 inch jointer that was made about 10 years ago. Even though it was Chinese, the guy on Craigslist who sold it to me only wanted $225 for it, and it was the standing model with the motor inside the enclosed cabinet.
Same with the drill presses. They've been making them in China since at least the beginning of this century. And the Ridgid (Emerson) I ended up buying was built in 1998 or 1999, and even the motor was made in China. This is not the Orange model either, it's the old Gray one.
And then this morning, I saw this on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CRAFTSMAN-6...ltDomain_0&hash=item20d6c5c037#ht_5508wt_1141
I was initially interested, because I was looking for a grinder for my workshop. A few days ago, I bought a Craftsman Professional because it was on sale for $129, and I had a $20-off coupon. It was Chinese, but there's literally no other option if you want a brand new grinder. I haven't unpacked the new grinder yet, so I thought I could return it if I was able to win this auction.
But then, notice in the picture that the Ebay grinder is also "Made in China" and the Sears sticker on the box is dated "02/03/1994"! I had no idea Sears has been importing product from Mainland China for almost 20 years!! Maybe this was the first of the wave. But I've seen Craftsman tool sets that clearly date from the early 1990's or even the late 1980's that were made there. And last weekend I noticed my father's 3-ton Sears/Craftsman jack, which he has had for years, if not a couple decades, is "Made in China"
Point is, this is not a new thing. It's just gotten worse in the last 5 years or so.
