Craftsmen USA - what am I missing here?

[four.cycle]

I don't know.
I considered that the "G" might indicate "GIRL", but I usually try to keep a damper on my speculative comments.
I downloaded your image, enlarged it, and looked at the paint and it's not perfect - there are dips and wows and points where they've colored outside the lines.

 

[four.cycle]

Complete List of Regular Craftsman Screwdrivers??

Since no set from Sears has ALL of them. Some have been discontinued. Some are hard to find, and most seem to still be made in the USA. I was thinking of making a holder for mine that I could mount above my tool bench. But, I wanted it to be complete. Here is a list of what I have come up with...

www.garagejournal.com

there's also a 4118 J

and a 4115 J

so.... the plot thickens...

 

[Jaywalk3r]

There are no shortage of people who believe

1. Made in USA implies higher quality than equivalent import.
2. A lifetime warranty implies top quality.

I stopped by the local ACE Hardware (Craftsman dealer) store while I was out today, intending to warranty a couple Craftsman screwdrivers. They don't warranty Craftsman tools; they only sell them. They told me to send it to corporate or take it to Sears for warranty. In 2025, that's a lot of trouble just to warranty a Craftsman screwdriver. Craftsman value traditionally came from the no hassle in-store warranty, not the tools' inherent quality.

 

[Steven 33]

I don't know.
I considered that the "G" might indicate "GIRL", but I usually try to keep a damper on my speculative comments.
I downloaded your image, enlarged it, and looked at the paint and it's not perfect - there are dips and wows and points where they've colored outside the lines.

I considered that with it coloring outside the lines but have plenty others that do the same. This isn't a fresh picture. Just a zoom in of one I had taken a while ago. You can see how especially the left one droops down a little. And I'll add a picture of a little lot of them I put together which completely invalidates my comment about the no color in that style screwdrivers. The lighting makes it appear less even than it is but I'll have to give it another look. Something just seemed odd to me after finding those when I just got done going through like a hundred of them that I had laying around. But I'm really not a Craftsman person. So I don't really know and I'm not a nail polish person either fortunately. The consistency just didn't really seem out of the ordinary compared to some of the others. I don't think I know enough to catch What is sarcasm and what isn't in regards to any of this. But I definitely have a lot of different manufacture codes that I don't have any idea they mean. Too many different ones

 

[Jaywalk3r]

I believe it simply comes down to the Craftsman USA made stuff isn't available at the local Sears store any longer.

Around here, there is no local Sears store any longer.

 

[four.cycle]

But I definitely have a lot of different manufacture codes that I don't have any idea they mean. Too many different ones

There are quite a few, for sure.
Craftsman Hand Tool Manufacturers and Date Ranges
^ download the file (or copy and paste it)

Craftsman made all kinds of clear plastic handled screwdrivers (with no color bands.) I have an old beater around here somewhere that got in the way of a lawnmower:

 

[Steven 33]

There are quite a few, for sure.
Craftsman Hand Tool Manufacturers and Date Ranges
^ download the file (or copy and paste it)

Craftsman made all kinds of clear plastic handled screwdrivers (with no color bands.) I have an old beater around here somewhere that got in the way of a lawnmower:

I imagine it's pretty hard to keep track of even for a Craftsman person. All kinds of shades for the old vanadium marked ones and just for kicks they had to make that. Has people like me find some that are this style in a "junk" bucket. Which is actually what just happened. Trying to find a a big enough bin to soak saws in. And now I have more questions like what this WJ is on the shaft of the scrapers. What the WF on the screwdriver is because it looks newer than I thought those were usually made with that marking. That's probably a rhetorical question. The rest of them are going in a big lot and then to the highest bidder. I get caught up in too many snipe hunts with Craftsman ha. Just hired when I come across things like I did the other day with a 2-in wrench that apparently is worth $2,600. Oh well. Thanks for indulging me.

 

[nz44tool]

I buy tools at flea markets, junk stores, tag sales, and estate sales. I clean them up and fix them up if they need it, and sell them on eBay.
I'll never get rich doing it. It's really just for fun, now that I'm retired. And I certainly won't go bragging about it on Youtube. But... every now and then I find something really interesting, from a design or historical point of view.
I was a mechanic back in the late 60s and early 70s. I bought a lot of Snap-on, and some Craftsman for work. The Snap-on stuff was really expensive even then, and the Craftsman was a decent alternative. I broke some of both brands; it was nice to have Sears just give you a new tool. The Snap-on guy usually wasn't so accommodating.
Anyway, when I find the Craftsman stuff that I used back then, it is sort of nostalgic, but a lot of it is really still in good shape.
Take the ratchets from the early 70s - I dismantle all of them, clean them out, and look for damage. The majority of them are just fine, good for another 20 years or so.
That's a lot of the fun for me: finding a tool that was made right here, maybe a little rusty, cleaning it up and giving it a new life. It's also a reaction to the throw-away world we're in now. There was, IMO, a golden age of American tool-making for the first half (or so) of the 20th century, when many companies made tools intended to last a long time. I like to honor that time.
I'll agree that there are some crazy prices on eBay for very ordinary tools. But people buy things for many reasons, and I don't need to know what those reasons are. I might wonder why folks are willing to lay out $80k for a Land Rover or a Mercedes when something half the price will do just as well. But they do. That's life.

 

[JeffreyG]

Vintage craftsman (70s, 80s) Phillips drivers were all clear. Only the straight edge drivers were red and clear. That way you quickly know which type you are grabbing. So the colors are what would be expected. And agree the pink is sloppily applied, so nail polish a likely possibility.

 

[Steven 33]

I buy tools at flea markets, junk stores, tag sales, and estate sales. I clean them up and fix them up if they need it, and sell them on eBay.
I'll never get rich doing it. It's really just for fun, now that I'm retired. And I certainly won't go bragging about it on Youtube. But... every now and then I find something really interesting, from a design or historical point of view.
I was a mechanic back in the late 60s and early 70s. I bought a lot of Snap-on, and some Craftsman for work. The Snap-on stuff was really expensive even then, and the Craftsman was a decent alternative. I broke some of both brands; it was nice to have Sears just give you a new tool. The Snap-on guy usually wasn't so accommodating.
Anyway, when I find the Craftsman stuff that I used back then, it is sort of nostalgic, but a lot of it is really still in good shape.
Take the ratchets from the early 70s - I dismantle all of them, clean them out, and look for damage. The majority of them are just fine, good for another 20 years or so.
That's a lot of the fun for me: finding a tool that was made right here, maybe a little rusty, cleaning it up and giving it a new life. It's also a reaction to the throw-away world we're in now. There was, IMO, a golden age of American tool-making for the first half (or so) of the 20th century, when many companies made tools intended to last a long time. I like to honor that time.
I'll agree that there are some crazy prices on eBay for very ordinary tools. But people buy things for many reasons, and I don't need to know what those reasons are. I might wonder why folks are willing to lay out $80k for a Land Rover or a Mercedes when something half the price will do just as well. But they do. That's life.

I'm definitely no stranger to spending an exorbitant amount of money on vintage tools. So I really can't judge. I mainly just don't want to be the fool that sells something valuable for too cheap. And the YouTube thing is intriguing to me. There's a few people I bought stuff off from eBay and then later found their YouTube channel. But I'm sure a lot of people buy from them for that purpose. Could be a good marketing strategy. Also just for a little proof I probably have more money in this one picture then I have in a decent size toolbox full of "user" tools

 

[four.cycle]

Trying to find a a big enough bin to soak saws in.

You want to use one of those large, shallow "under the bed" storage tubs people use to store stuff in under their beds. I bought mine at "Big Lots!" for about $10 buck. Works great. Evaporust washes right off with soap and water.

I do not see a "WJ" in Lauver's list, but I do find "J", which is, again: Western Forge.

 

[wolfinator]

So that must mean Craftsman made screwdrivers with no color on them at all besides the blue on the bottom of the handle in that style? Since they are are in unused condition and the Phillips ones only have the pink while the flat heads have the pink and red. The people on Facebook suggested either breast cancer awareness. Something else I forget but no one has suggested something with quite as much condescension. Not really sure what purpose that serves.

Yes, Craftsman sold (and still sells) Phillips screwdrivers with a handle that is mostly clear with a blue band at the bottom.
Looks like someone painted their screwdrivers pink (maybe to deter theft?). Not sure what you're looking for but those are not what I call "unused condition".

That screwdriver design remains widely available. I have USA Western Forge produced examples, but they continue to sell offshore reproductions. All kinds of sets are available that include clones of those drivers. Not sure why one would bother with sketchy sellers over these TBH.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are some decent screwdrivers I sold some time back in the GK classifieds. I find that some estate sale sellers tend to overprice Craftsman tools but I always leave the overpriced ones behind.
-Don

 

[Steven 33]

Yes, Craftsman sold (and still sells) Phillips screwdrivers with a handle that is mostly clear with a blue band at the bottom.
Looks like someone painted their screwdrivers pink (maybe to deter theft?). Not sure what you're looking for but those are not what I call "unused condition".

That screwdriver design remains widely available. I have USA Western Forge produced examples, but they continue to sell offshore reproductions. All kinds of sets are available that include clones of those drivers. Not sure why one would bother with sketchy sellers over these TBH.

Yeah I already noted my mistake

 

[hasco]

So,How does one get a Repair Kit or a Replacement (Under Warranty) for a 1/2" drive Flex head ratchet i got 15 years ago at Sears. What are my options ?

 

[wolfinator]

So,How does one get a Repair Kit or a Replacement (Under Warranty) for a 1/2" drive Flex head ratchet i got 15 years ago at Sears. What are my options ?

I would contact Craftsman directly to ask about your options. I expect the best they would be able to do is to send you some kind of "equivalent" replacement if your ratchet is out of production.

 

[Etchase]

So,How does one get a Repair Kit or a Replacement (Under Warranty) for a 1/2" drive Flex head ratchet i got 15 years ago at Sears. What are my options ?

Or alternatively go to Lowe’s or an ACE and see what they will do. Lowe’s told me to go pick out a current ratchet and kept my broken one. Others have been refused replacements apparently. Not all Ace stores even carry Craftsman, and are variable in their policies too.

 

[Firebird1975]

So,How does one get a Repair Kit or a Replacement (Under Warranty) for a 1/2" drive Flex head ratchet i got 15 years ago at Sears. What are my options ?

I had destroyed Craftsman -V- series 1/4 and 3/8 ratchets that have been in my old tool chest from high school. I remember breaking the 3/8 by placing a 2-foot-long pipe on it to break a bolt free on my old rusted up 1967 Barracuda. Yes, the wrong tool for the job. I never really liked the raised panel Craftsman ratchets because they would abruptly change directions while in mid-swing. Anyways, I figured I would attempt to return them after all these years. I visited my local ACE hardware, and they were easily exchanged replaced without hassle. The manager stated that it could only be replaced with a tool of equal value and gave me the 74 tooth low profile ratchets. I left the store satisfied, because at least I now had functional ratchets.

I have never used SBD ratchets before, and these may be not utilized often because I used my old school Snap On and SK ratchets for the last 30 years. That being said, the SBD Craftsman appear to be of an adequate quality for a DIY guy like me. The chrome is nice and the ratcheting mechanism seems smooth. I can't say that I'm happy that they are manufactured overseas, but they seem like a nicer tool than the ones that I returned.

 

[bonneyman]

Well, I had a set of "G" code deep metric 3/8" drive sockets I was keeping as a spare. Then gave it to my nephew who asked me about tools. (I gave him a small assortment of other tools as well). That USA made Craftsman stuff should do him just fine.
I could have just sent him to HF but he's family so I just gave him some of my tool overstock.

 

[Model A Fan]

The thing that gets me is the now insane shipping costs on eBay. $7-10 to ship a wrench. I collect certain types but I use them and just want complete sets. It gets expensive buying individual wrenches when shipping is so much. You wind up with more invested in shipping than the actual wrench set.

 

[nz44tool]

The thing that gets me is the now insane shipping costs on eBay. $7-10 to ship a wrench. I collect certain types but I use them and just want complete sets. It gets expensive buying individual wrenches when shipping is so much. You wind up with more invested in shipping than the actual wrench set.

True that.