Craftsman sockets U.S. made vs China made

[jn50308401]

Plus, the Harbor Freight stores all smell bad.

I was at our local Sears checking the clearence section 2 weeks ago and the boxes of new tools(they were remodeling/re stocking our store) it smelled exactly like Harbor Freight !

Nice try.

The SK socket that you linked is standard depth, not deep like the one in the original post. The deep socket is $14: http://www.toolrage.com/prodview.asp?sku=SKT-40836

Compare the price on a Craftsman set which goes on sale every other week at a considerable discount to an SK set. The difference becomes much grater.

The Harbor Freight set listed is also shallow, not deep. The set doesn't even go up to 1-1/8", which again, is the socket in the original post.

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[Mikerodrig27]

It's inevitable, china is going to eventually have the same standards as Taiwan and the USA. I like mu Taiwan made tools. Would I rather have USA? Yes definately but I can't find any faults in quality between my Grey Pneumatic and my Sunex impact sockets.

I used to have a set of crossforce USA made wrenches that I lost all but the 1/2". I replaced them all with a new set of crossforce wrenches that weren't made int he USA and I can't distinguish them from one another other than them not being marked "made in USA"

A lot of good products are manufactured in China. I feel like the US government should offer Tax cuts to companies that manufacture goods in the USA to help companies pass savings to the customer. I'm sure it's not simple though.

 

[defektes]

A lot of good products are manufactured in China. I feel like the US government should offer Tax cuts to companies that manufacture goods in the USA to help companies pass savings to the customer. I'm sure it's not simple though.

In addition to that less regulations.

Above is the main driving force of outsourcing. IMO.

 

[Coach James]

I don't see any significant difference between the two sockets the OP posted.

Eddie L is often cast as a villian regarding Sears, but the problems at Sears started long before he got there. Sears began losing market share in the mid 1970's. When Eddie came along, Sears was already in serious trouble.

Coach

 

[FordTruckWench]

I don't see any significant difference between the two sockets the OP posted.

It is very hard to see in the posted pictures, but there is an important difference visible: The square drive base of USA sockets is about as thick as a square drive post is long. The base of the Chinese sockets is much thicker. If you pick up a Chinese socket, it is noticeably heavier.

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

If they outsource to cut costs down then that means it was cheaper to make... Then why they sale it the same price as USA made??? Could be corporate greed?? Cocksuckers.....

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

I was at our local Sears checking the clearence section 2 weeks ago and the boxes of new tools(they were remodeling/re stocking our store) it smelled exactly like Harbor Freight !

You figured it out. Sears is buying their tools at Harbor Freight, marking them up, and reselling them with different packaging...

 

[Ponchoguy]

I have no idea. I only buy domestic mfg'd tools at Sears and that hasn't been much lately.

I'm with you on that.

 

[Ponchoguy]

I don't see any significant difference between the two sockets the OP posted.

Eddie L is often cast as a villian regarding Sears, but the problems at Sears started long before he got there. Sears began losing market share in the mid 1970's. When Eddie came along, Sears was already in serious trouble.

Coach

I think if Harley Davidson did it circa 1981, so can Sears.

 

[mrvm]

Eddie L is often cast as a villian regarding Sears, but the problems at Sears started long before he got there. Sears began losing market share in the mid 1970's. When Eddie came along, Sears was already in serious trouble

All these years must not be enough time for Eddie L to figure out what's not working at Sears....

 

[Super Sport]

If they outsource to cut costs down then that means it was cheaper to make... Then why they sale it the same price as USA made??? Could be corporate greed?? Cocksuckers.....

I've noticed that Sears has started to offer better and more frequent sale prices on newly imported tools. The regular price hasn't changed, but the price most people pay for them is down. So in essence, yes they are now charging less for imported tools, just not in the most obvious way.

Several months ago a member posted complaining that he couldn't find a USA-made 8" bench grinder for under $350. So I looked back at my 1970 Sears catalog, where an 8" Craftsman bench grinder cost $120. Guess what the now imported version sells for at Sears today? $120! Do you want to know what that $120 in 1970 would be inflation adjusted to today? $350!

Americans are so used to cheap imported **** nowadays that they can't justify the price difference in buying better quality USA made items. Prices really haven't gone up - we've just gotten more stingy with our money!

 

[dkop1]

The chrome seems closer to Pittsburgh than to the old craftsman I got from my dad. However I'm no plating expert and that could just be wear, or changes in plating technology over the years... I'm glad to have old US Made stuff from my dad, flea markets, etc.

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[Ponchoguy]

I've noticed that Sears has started to offer better and more frequent sale prices on newly imported tools. The regular price hasn't changed, but the price most people pay for them is down. So in essence, yes they are now charging less for imported tools, just not in the most obvious way.

Several months ago a member posted complaining that he couldn't find a USA-made 8" bench grinder for under $350. So I looked back at my 1970 Sears catalog, where an 8" Craftsman bench grinder cost $120. Guess what the now imported version sells for at Sears today? $120! Do you want to know what that $120 in 1970 would be inflation adjusted to today? $350!

Americans are so used to cheap imported **** nowadays that they can't justify the price difference in buying better quality USA made items. Prices really haven't gone up - we've just gotten more stingy with our money!

Ya can't compare a 1970 US made grinder to today's imports (although I get what you're saying about pricing). The US made grinder will still be going long after the import has become your next HF tool

 

[Ponchoguy]

You figured it out. Sears is buying their tools at Harbor Freight, marking them up, and reselling them with different packaging...

I wouldn't doubt some tools in their lines both come from the same sources in China (not saying hand tools per se) as HF said in one of their ads in some many words, "We source from the same places as the big names, but cut out the middleman so we can pass the savings on to you".

 

[MilwaukeeFish]

I wouldn't doubt some tools in their lines both come from the same sources in China (not saying hand tools per se) as HF said in one of their ads in some many words, "We source from the same places as the big names, but cut out the middleman so we can pass the savings on to you".

Uh huh... And a crappy tool is a crappy tool, no matter what name is on it, and how much they wanna charge for it.

 

[christopher7390]

I agree 100% with the quality variation in tools from China. Harbor Freight is improving. All three of the above mentioned are leaps and bounds better than the 26pc. socket sets for $4.99 made in China.

Just because something is made in the USA doesn't mean it's worth its weight in gold. Many have stated that the quality of the raised panel Craftsman ratchets actually increased when production moved from US to China (smoother ratcheting action).

Lets see how long they hold up