Craftsman New Lineup

[wyattstihl]

I saw a Craftsman Instagram post that said on August 15-17 they will be launching a new lineup containing 1200, new tools. Hope some say ‘Made in USA’...


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[ARFLY]

I hope so also. I also hope it is good stuff and not just gimmick type stuff.

 

[WWheeler]

I saw a Craftsman Instagram post that said on August 15-17 they will be launching a new lineup containing 1200, new tools. Hope some say ‘Made in USA’...

I suspect the vast majority of them will be Stanley tools made in anywheristan rebranded with the Craftsman name instead, like the gun-metal ratchet sets being discussed here.

 

[wyattstihl]

I suppose so. But, as Craftsman has said over and over, they will soon be bringing the Craftsman brand “back home.”, as in manufactured in USA.

craftsmanlaunchevent.com


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[B_Bimmer]

Hoping for the best.

 

[Moparman390]

This makes sense, they gotta have the tool lineup out there for Christmas. I would guess that a lot of the USA made stuff will be power tools, tool boxes, and the like as final assembly type factories are easier to build than metal forges. Once again a guess, but if the forged stuff returns state side, it will be later on. I also expect them to source stuff from across SBD.

 

[woody 73]

I guess I am a cynical call it getting older in nature.


I remember back in the mid 1980's when Sears craftsman started selling made in China/Taiwan hand tools and guess who had the contract back then...yep Stanley.

But the cry was so great and loud they stopped doing it plus Stanley got caught in the act and the US Government got after them.

We shall see...

 

[woody 73]

I found this one on the web for another hand tool but you get the idea of what I am talking about:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/pre...ey-made-false-made-usa-claims-about-its-tools


I just don't have a lot of faith in them.

 

[JR 42]

I'm also cynical, but... after Newell- Rubbermaid and Apex, Stanley doesn't seem too bad. They haven't significantly cheapened or killed any of their US product lines in a few decades that I'm aware of... I bet some British and Euro folks might have a different opinion, though.

JR

 

[wyattstihl]

This makes sense, they gotta have the tool lineup out there for Christmas. I would guess that a lot of the USA made stuff will be power tools, tool boxes, and the like as final assembly type factories are easier to build than metal forges. Once again a guess, but if the forged stuff returns state side, it will be later on. I also expect them to source stuff from across SBD.

Or they could source from their Proto or Mac lines that are made in USA


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[Fedwrench]

Or they could source from their Proto or Mac lines that are made in USA

That's an unrealistic expectation since I doubt very seriously if SBD would sell either Mac or Proto at craftsman prices.
However, you might see some Blackhawk items as craftsman along with possibly Wilde pliers since they supply some of PROTO's pliers.

 

[Chaznsc]

Probably means they will be sold at Dollar General.

 

[CR888]

Will folks pony up & pay for USA Craftsman or will they continue buying GW sets at HF with perfect nickel chrome, semi pro features and after using coupons end up paying less for a set of hand tools than you'd spend on lunch. And of coarse demand a lifetime warranty with easy exchange should the dirt cheap tool not meet high expectation. Buying USA is more an ambition or dream for the low-mid end modern tool co. They need the 'critical mass' of consumers buying there product. In the .modern era of quality cheap tools out of Taiwan, if this dream came to fruition it may end the viability of the company.

 

[Jtels85]

I saw a Craftsman Instagram post that said on August 15-17 they will be launching a new lineup containing 1200, new tools. Hope some say ‘Made in USA’...


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If I were a betting man, I’d say the tools will be something similar to the DeWalt mechanics hand tools that I recently seen at Rural King. Made overseas, but nice looking quality nonetheless.

 

[Ohmthis]

Will folks pony up & pay for USA Craftsman or will they continue buying GW sets at HF with perfect nickel chrome, semi pro features and after using coupons end up paying less for a set of hand tools than you'd spend on lunch. And of coarse demand a lifetime warranty with easy exchange should the dirt cheap tool not meet high expectation. Buying USA is more an ambition or dream for the low-mid end modern tool co. They need the 'critical mass' of consumers buying there product. In the .modern era of quality cheap tools out of Taiwan, if this dream came to fruition it may end the viability of the company.

I would!!! I’ve been replacing my worn or broken Craftsman USA tools from work (industrial maintenance electrician/HVAC) with Proto. I love them, but for home use my Craftsman have done a great job. My boy is getting older (9 yrs old) now and his box is lacking some hardline tools. I’d gladly pay for “quality” USA Craftsman to fit him. I’m willing to bet a lot of people who shop at construction materials stores would pick Craftsman. I hope to see them come back home and climb back up the ladder.

 

[PFSard]

Anyone have an statistics on the percentage of CM sales that are power tools versus hand tools? And which category is the more profitable, on average?

 

[WWheeler]

Anyone have an statistics on the percentage of CM sales that are power tools versus hand tools? And which category is the more profitable, on average?

Here's the only place I found that gives a difference between Craftsman sales of hand tools and power tools:

https://www.mdm.com/blogs/6-mergers...tsman-deal-sears-throws-monkey-wrench-in-room

Retail annual sales of Craftsman tools, lawn & garden and storage products today are $1.9 billion, with hand tools accounting for $475 million and power tools $190 million.

No idea on which (hand tools or power tools) is actually most profitable. Power tools might have a lower sales but higher profit margin for all I know. I haven't seen it broken down that way before. Most of the the news I've seen usually lumps hand and power tools together, as even then they don't make up as much of Craftsman sales overall as lawn and garden. Here's some mentions via the google:

https://home.carshowsafari.com/happening-craftsman-tools/

Although most car guys associate the Craftsman brand with the hand tools in their toolboxes, hand tools and power tools make up just 35 percent of Craftsman brand sales. Lawn and garden equipment (mowers, leaf blowers, et al) account for 40 percent of Craftsman sales, and the remaining 25 percent is made up of other items such as storage products and garage door openers. In the announcement of the sale it was not specified whether Stanley will alter the product mix, and interestingly the deal grants Sears the right to develop and source products with the Craftsman name for their retail stores.

https://www.consumerreports.org/craftsman/sale-of-sears-craftsman-brand/

outdoor power equipment accounts for about 40 percent of Craftsman's business

https://www.dealnews.com/features/W...e-Craftsman-Sale-to-Black-Decker/1892420.html

Per the Stanley Black & Decker investor presentation, roughly 40% of Craftsman sales are lawn and garden items, and another 25% are storage and related products — toolboxes, garage door openers, and so on.

Anywho, that's why I don't expect Stanley to invest too much into USA made hand tools as compared to other market segments like lawn and garden which is the one area Craftsman had that Stanley didn't.

Stanley did buy Waterloo though, which Stanley's CEO says is now a 'dedicated Craftsman manufacturing facility', so I take it Waterloo no longer makes boxes for anyone else. So I expect to see them really push 'Made in the USA' for their boxes (as if they aren't already).

 

[markhm]

SBD has to rebuild the perception of quality and they have to offer convenient distribution. And they have to keep the price competitive--it can be a lot more expensive than Chinese but needs to be well below Proto. If they get that right, it will be successful. If they get it wrong, it will be just another of too many tool brands.

 

[Sco Deac]

Anyone have an statistics on the percentage of CM sales that are power tools versus hand tools? And which category is the more profitable, on average?

WWheeler is right that the January 2017 slideshow for investors has information on Craftsman's revenue statistics, though it says nothing about the profitability of each segment. The slideshow is available at

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...resentations&usg=AOvVaw0fZG50Ayg05hSeFzwl5fwW

The key slide from the presentation for revenue is: