Craftsman USA at Sears Outlets

[turbowoodworker]

This may not qualify as such a hot deal to everyone and it will likely rekindle the anti-CM debate.

But there is a TON of Made in USA CM stuff on the shelves at the Sears Outlets again. I have been to two in the last few days and online. In both the Raleigh NC and Greensboro NC stores I found large numbers of pretty good stuff at pretty good prices (40-65% off).

I've included some pictures. I know there was a thread on the 18" breaker for 15.99 but there are shelves of RP 6 and 12 pt SAE and metric wrench sets 17.99. And for 19.99 the paired sets of 3/8 drive deep sockets MM and SAE.
Lots of hex and tamperproof torx, adapter sets, extensions, etc.

If interested check out the website and use the local zip code function to see what is near you because these truly are deals if you don't have to ship.

I did not purchase much today because these wrenches pale in comparison to the last great outlet sale where all the full polish Industrials went out the door. (I took full advantage of that). This is not that deal but...still pretty good.

Just to add, I felt a bit of embarrassment for Sears that all this USA material is on sale at the outlet and all the shiny Asian stuff is so proudly displayed in the mall store. I felt like I had stumbled on a long lost discarded friend. Sorry to end on the sappy note.

 

[71goldss]

Good deal if you're in need of some 3/8" drive sockets and a few locking extensions. I went to my local Outlets yesterday and saw most everything in your photos. I went away empty handed as well. Most everything would just be duplicates of what I already have. And those 6pt RP wrenches, though made in the USA, seem like a gimmick tool to me. Maybe I'm missing something here, but I can't see needing to put that much torque on a small wrench to require a 6 point?

I also couldn't help compare to last years Craftsman Industrial deals. Makes it hard to get excited about what's being offered today.

 

[lightning02]

anyone want to grab a 6-32mm RP 12pt USA wrench set and mail it to me? ill pay

 

[EdJack]

Seems like a ton of stuff, but all the same five or six different things. Looks like all duplicates for me, but I'll take a run by and see what they have. You also can't really go by the website, because it is not accurate (at least at my Outlet). You have to physically go in and take a look. I would almost bet if it sits there long enough, the prices will start to creep even lower. No way they are going to sell big buckets full of extensions, and reams of torx bits for 24 bucks. All that stuff over 20 bucks now will slowly go to 7 or 8 bucks by January.

Another place I've had luck at is the Sears Parts and Repairs centers (where they sell Lawnmower parts, Appliance repair, and such). Sometimes they have shelves full of made in the USA old stock at deeply discounted prices.

 

[jmscollinsiii]

Does anyone know if the sywr max free shipping works with sears outlet online store?

 

[turbowoodworker]

I don't know about the sywr shipping.
I think you are right about the price drop. I bought some nice Industrial sets at 50% off then weeks later picked over the dregs at 70% off. The regular torx set was 14.99 but the tamper proof was 23.99.
I would be happy to help with the 6-32mm set but I think all they had were 6-16mm in the set. Check the website I didn't look so closely.
As to accuracy of the website, I have been impressed over several months of shopping at the outlet. Even the number of available items seems to be close. What I have found is that on occasion, there was stock in the back that was not yet displayed so I would ask if the website says they have something. And ask the oldest guy there not the eighth grade girl at the counter.


L

 

[turbowoodworker]

One other deal I got on Black Friday was by web purchase with pickup in store. I got the $129 set of cross force SAE for $19.99. Huge discount. I'm not a big fan of the gimmick wrenches so I had never sought these out before but they aren't that bad. COO is China,unlike all the USA stuff in my previous posts. Also they are still available in Raleigh but not Greensboro at the now upped price of $39.99, not such a good deal anymore and I would not recommend them at $40.

 

[holdtherice]

So sad to see craftsman going to Chinese made hand tools.

I've already got the 6pt wrenches, yes, they're a little bit gimmick, but they came with a tool set and you never know.

I'm interested in extra 12pt rp combo wrenches, since the stores will only be carrying the big beak china ones. I don't use my tools everyday and I'm not that hard on them. Still, you never know when you might lose a small combo wrench.

I was at the Greensboro store Tuesday, they also had the 48" Gladiator workbench for about $295. Not bad, but not showing on the website now.

 

[Super Sport]

We just got a Sears Outlet in town. Almost all of the Cman they had was USA as of a couple weeks ago, but they didn't have a wide selection. Hopefully they have more now, I'll have to stop in today or tomorrow.

They did have USA breaker bars, 12pt wrench sets, microclicker torque wrenches, and a few other odds and ends.

 

[kustom53]

I'll be stopping at the Monroeville, PA store tonight...I'll let you guys know what it looks like.

One of my closest friends bought a tool box with nothing in it...so for Christmas his wife gave me $700 to fill it so I get to go shopping for him!! Terrible how much fun it is, now he finally won't have to borrow my stuff!!!

 

[elronin]

I'll be stopping at the Monroeville, PA store tonight...I'll let you guys know what it looks like.

One of my closest friends bought a tool box with nothing in it...so for Christmas his wife gave me $700 to fill it so I get to go shopping for him!! Terrible how much fun it is, now he finally won't have to borrow my stuff!!!

Dam I wish my wife was that generous Get him some of those US stock Craftsman sets that are at Castco. They are about the last USA made Craftsmans you can find, unless you go the ebay route. 700 bucks can get you alot if you find closeouts and clearance deals.

TheToolReviewGuy

 

[Fastbird]

Dang, wish I had an outlet close by. There's golden opportunities for great starter sets for my kids with that stuff.

 

[Brownsfan]

This explains why some stuff disappeared from the regular stores over night. They are purging it to make room for chicom stuff. Went and bought both torx sets for back ups. May buy some wrenches just to have. Hell may get one of the sets for the car.

 

[BDAZSVT]

I just got the 6 point wrenches for $14 a set and $6 dollars shipping. Local store on sell they were $30 ea. Both sets Made in USA

 

[Hootbro]

This explains why some stuff disappeared from the regular stores over night. They are purging it to make room for chicom stuff. Went and bought both torx sets for back ups. May buy some wrenches just to have. Hell may get one of the sets for the car.

So you are claiming Sears is purposely taking down unsold USA made Craftsman stuff on the shelves and replacing them with the Chinese stuff even though it is the same part number?

I can see it being replaced with newer Chinese made items through normal sold attrition, but to purposely take down and box up unsold USA made Craftsman and truck it to Outlet, makes no sense.

 

[OxJaw]

So you are claiming Sears is purposely taking down unsold USA made Craftsman stuff on the shelves and replacing them with the Chinese stuff even though it is the same part number?

I can see it being replaced with newer Chinese made items through normal sold attrition, but to purposely take down and box up unsold USA made Craftsman and truck it to Outlet, makes no sense.

Does it make sense? No, but it seems to be what is happening around my area.

I was just in a a Sears last week and 95% of the hand tools were all China made. How many 1/2" drive 20" extensions do you think a mall store sells? I wouldn't think many at all, but everyone was made in China. Same thing with most other things you wouldn't think they would sell a lot of.

I did notice that the open stock single wrenches still were USA.

 

[Brownsfan]

Same here. USA torx sets disappeared from my area stores and a **** load shows up at the outlets. What other explanation would there be?

 

[Hootbro]

Does it make sense? No, but it seems to be what is happening around my area.

I was just in a a Sears last week and 95% of the hand tools were all China made. How many 1/2" drive 20" extensions do you think a mall store sells? I wouldn't think many at all, but everyone was made in China. Same thing with most other things you wouldn't think they would sell a lot of.

I did notice that the open stock single wrenches still were USA.

Well it is the same around me where it seems it is now 95% Chinese but it did not happen "over night" as brownsfan eluded to.

I have 3 full size Sears and 2 Sears Hardware store in my area I frequent and the change over from USA made Craftsman to Chinese did not happen over night. It took the 2-3 years or when it started in late 2010 when the first noticeable switch over of hard line hand tools to Chinese made first appeared. In the time since, peg board stock has been a slow attrition turn over in my local sears from USA to Chinese made.

Brownsfan makes it seem he went into a store on let's say a Monday with it flush and full of USA made Craftsman and came back in the next day on Tuesday and it was all taken down and replaced with Chinese made. That seems foolish and an exaggeration of the probable facts.

It's not the first time someone has made this "over night" claim here. I suspect it is actually people who have not made a trip into a Sears in many months or even years and bombarded with what to them is a sudden change over and not a true "over night".

 

[Hootbro]

Same here. USA torx sets disappeared from my area stores and a **** load shows up at the outlets. What other explanation would there be?

How many is a "**** load"? There is maybe 4-5 sets on the pegboard at any given time. Could it be those last USA ones actually sold and the replacements were Chinese? Hell, there could have been a run by a another fellow member in your area that bought the last USA made sets all at once.

You are making loose "cause and affect" judgement without truly know what happened to your stores stock.

 

[Hafen_Kafer]

So where did all this USA stock come from then?
I also believe it was yanked from the shelves and boxed up for an orchestrated sale at the outlet stores.

 

[Hafen_Kafer]

I'm sure it takes a while to pull from stores, inventory it and then redistribute it.

 

[Hootbro]

So where did all this USA stock come from then?
I also believe it was yanked from the shelves and boxed up for an orchestrated sale at the outlet stores.

If anybody that is reading this thread that does retail store or any inventory management, will be shaking their head and laughing at this summations of inventory being swapped just based on country of origin.

It makes no logistical sense to assume added expense of paying people to pull already displayed inventory and paying to ship to another retail outlet and selling at a discount of what probably was already a higher wholesale cost for Sears to begin with.

Sears outlet deals with scratch and dent items and excess inventory. That excess inventory can just as easily be warehoused inventory that never made it to a store. Also, Sears has closed several hundred stores the last year to include a contraction of distribution centers. Just as easily for it to be excess inventory from this contraction that needs to be liquidated and the outlets are designed for this.

 

[71goldss]

If anybody that is reading this thread that does retail store or any inventory management, will be shaking their head and laughing at this summations of inventory being swapped just based on country of origin.

It makes no logistical sense to assume added expense of paying people to pull already displayed inventory and paying to ship to another retail outlet and selling at a discount of what probably was already a higher wholesale cost for Sears to begin with.

Sears outlet deals with scratch and dent items and excess inventory. That excess inventory can just as easily be warehoused inventory that never made it to a store. Also, Sears has closed several hundred stores the last year to include a contraction of distribution centers. Just as easily for it to be excess inventory from this contraction that needs to be liquidated and the outlets are designed for this.

Agreed! ^

I'm defininately siding with you! The stores could care less what the CoO is stated on the packaging.

 

[captain14]

Maybe Tater can explain this event. He seems to be knowledgable of Sears operations.

 

[Brownsfan]

Maybe then it was stuff left in warehouses? Or stuff left at the end of production in the N.C socket plant?