FT Worth TX Craftsman Tool release
- Thread starter Toolguy87
- Start date
thool
Well-known member
Thanks for bringing this up. I hadn't been following but found this article.
I have a set of polished Craftsman combination wrenches (with A-AE stampings) that are pretty good, although a couple came bowed out of the box. It was a good value and they have served well.
For combination wrenches, the real factors for me will be tolerances, durability, and price. I'm sure Project Farm will get ahold of a set and run them through the tests.
I have a set of polished Craftsman combination wrenches (with A-AE stampings) that are pretty good, although a couple came bowed out of the box. It was a good value and they have served well.
For combination wrenches, the real factors for me will be tolerances, durability, and price. I'm sure Project Farm will get ahold of a set and run them through the tests.
We're almost into the last month of the 4th quarter. It has been quiet for sometime now. I have followed this progress since Stanley Black and Decker bought out the brand from Sears back in 2018. I have a set of metric satin chrome raised panel wrenches made in India that have held up well in the shop from daily use. They recently released v-series. But some of the sockets and wrenches are either missing or skipped out on some sizes. Without being able to buy the missing sizes. Which irks me personally.
iamhomeless
Well-known member
I don't know if any information has leaked out yet, but I am pretty excited. Even the foreign stuff SBD put put onder the Craftsman name so far is better than the **** Sears was contracting for the last few years they owned the brand.
I miss the days of the Craftsman Professional stuff, and would love to see SBD bring that styling and finish back to US made Craftsman.
There is a thread in the HotDeals forum of some killer discounts on current Craftsman stuff on Sears.com, I expect this is the clear out old stock before the new Craftsman stuff drops.
I miss the days of the Craftsman Professional stuff, and would love to see SBD bring that styling and finish back to US made Craftsman.
There is a thread in the HotDeals forum of some killer discounts on current Craftsman stuff on Sears.com, I expect this is the clear out old stock before the new Craftsman stuff drops.
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
There has been speculation on another forum that SBD is using the holidays to clear out older stock and that next year will be the USA release. I dunno, it could be their plan or it could just be wild guesses. I’m assuming that they, like SK with their quasi-reopening, probably didn’t make the deadline like they wanted for whatever reason and it will probably be Memorial Day or Father’s Day at the earliest.
Bubba Fett
Well-known member
It does make sense to try to clear out as much of the existing Craftsman stuff first, but I don't know if these will be direct replacements, or a new line like the "V-Series".
My guess is they have run into supply chain delays, or staffing issues. I'd rather they take their time and put out good products than rush half-finished junk to the market.
My guess is they have run into supply chain delays, or staffing issues. I'd rather they take their time and put out good products than rush half-finished junk to the market.
iamhomeless
Well-known member
I know at least the tool box manufacturing operations of SBD have both staffing and material shortage issues leading to big lead times, according the my MSC amd Vidmar reps. And considering those are problems at a legacy facility, I wouldn't be surprised if staffing is even worse at a new building.
Your lying neighborhood Tool Bear made a video a few months back and said the release would be Q4 of this year. Cool story bro…
If SB&D is struggling to find staff, pay more.
Our company had been struggling to hire and retain quality people for a couple of years now. They recently gave everyone decent raises, better benefits and some received promotions. Most of the positions are now filled and everyone is happier and more productive. Word has spread in the community and now people are applying like crazy. Business has also expanded and the shareholders are pleased. It’s amazing what a difference a few bucks will do.
If SB&D is struggling to find staff, pay more.
Our company had been struggling to hire and retain quality people for a couple of years now. They recently gave everyone decent raises, better benefits and some received promotions. Most of the positions are now filled and everyone is happier and more productive. Word has spread in the community and now people are applying like crazy. Business has also expanded and the shareholders are pleased. It’s amazing what a difference a few bucks will do.
I agree with you.
Something is wrong. The Craftsman Facebook page doesn’t even entertain people who question the USA release anymore with their generic, corporate response. The questions go unanswered or get deleted. They’re hoping we just shut up, go away and forget that the whole thing ever happened.
Covid-19 and supply chain issues are no longer an adequate, viable response. Stanley Black & Decker is the largest Tool manufacturer in the entire world. They are constantly issuing brand new products under the Craftsman brand. If they really wanted this to come to fruition, it would have been done by now. They have had plenty of time to make this happen, and they haven’t. They are liars and frauds. The whole Texas plant is probably just a warehouse to store more of their India made hand tools.
SILVERPLATE
Well-known member
Just my principal, I have more tools than I will ever need, but I will never buy another Craftsman brand again unless it says Made in USA.
I have no beef against them, just suspect that from the get-go of the Craftsman name purchase, they probably have had to weigh out exactly what they were going to do with it.
Not an easy task in the modern tool world, where things seem to change by the minute.
Junkdrawer Dog
Well-known member
I was in Lowes Monday. Nothing new there. Seems like a huge miss to not show up for BF?
Junkdrawer Dog
Well-known member
Actually there was something new...a lot of the floor space that was previously occupied by Craftsman tool storage is now occupied by VIPER tool storage including the central display near the front of the store. They seemed well made.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
Ho Hum, So what and who cares? Pretty much the way I feel about Craftsman.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
I am much on the same page and thought there had to be better ways to spend a billion bucks in the tool industry. I was thinking the Craftsman name preservation would have been in the same ballpark as a Studebaker
I think a major reason they purchased it was so that someone else could not have it.
Not unheard of in Corporate world.
CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
Happens way, way more than I ever realized. Caught me by surprise once I was exposed to it after school.
That’s how I feel about SnapOn, Matco, SK, Tekton, or any German or Japanese brand…
If you don’t care or feel any special way about the Craftsman brand, then why did you comment?
nbpt100
Well-known member
I have a wait and see attitude. It will come out when it comes out. I hope they make a good quality USA made product just out of American Pride, if nothing else.
However, If I break one of my old 1980s Cman tools I want something decent to replace it with.
However, If I break one of my old 1980s Cman tools I want something decent to replace it with.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I'm amazed that there are as many people as there are here still clinging to possible release of US Made Craftsman tools. If it was going to happen this year, or even as far out as the first half of 2023, Craftsman would have had a booth at SEMA/AAPEX with prototypes at least. Something is wrong but, only SBD Craftsman knows and they're not talking. 
Why do you hate greatness?
I don’t need greatness to turn my nuts and bolts. They get turned with DIY store brands just fine.
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You're in a thread about tools that don't exist, saying you don't need those tools. Glad you cleared that up for all of us.
Bubba Fett
Well-known member
I'm sure that's the main reason. They didn't want Apex to get the brand, which I'm guessing is the only other company that could afford the price. Had that happened, there would be no possibility of USA-made Craftsman tools, since Apex is going all the way with China.
In a perfect world, I would have loved for Ideal Industries to purchase them. Then maybe they could have kept Western Forge and Pratt-Read open, and making Craftsman tools, since they were the OEM for a lot of their tools in the first place. But they probably didn't have anywhere near enough money to purchase the name.
So another delay *****, but I'm not going to write them off just yet. Some USA-made Craftsman is better than none.
Stanley Black & Decker Announces 4th Quarter Dividend
Stanley Black Decker (NYSE: SWK) announced today that its Board of Directors approved a regular fourth quarter cash dividend of $0.80 per common share. This extends the company's record for the longest consecutive annual and quarterly dividend payments among industrial companies listed on the...
Investors likely don't give a **** about Craftsman tools.
finn
Well-known member
It’s a big company. A purchasing agent or IT person in Connecticut isn’t likely to replace a punch press operator or assembler in Texas.
finn
Well-known member
I’m pretty sure they didn’t tool a new plant so they can provide USA made tools to hand out as free warranty replacements for something the previous brand owner, Sears, sold in their stores forty years ago.
Or maybe I’m missing something thinking that’s not a valid business model.
Junkdrawer Dog
Well-known member
I find it interesting that my local Lowes removed all the Craftsman tool storage from the front of store and action alley and replaced it with VIPER products. This has never happened before. All the Craftsman tool storage has been moved closer to the back of store, between the plywood and the ladders. Wondering if the relationship between Lowes and SBD has changed somehow.
Junkdrawer Dog
Well-known member
Yep.
Bubba Fett
Well-known member
Looks like the new V-series tools are being discounted for holiday season, at least on Amazon. I've long suspected that the V-series tools were a stop-gap, as they were mostly Facom rebrands, and I'm not expecting the USA-made tools to replace the Taiwan/China/India-sourced tools but would instead be a higher end line. I guess we'll see.
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CHI_Tool&Die
Well-known member
I won’t lie, if Craftsman ever got their stuff together, I’d happily get rid of my higher-end sockets and wrenches and downsize to the new USA stuff. The ratchets, not so much.
I’m just not as huge a fan of some of my better tools like I thought I’d be. Outside of my Proto Italian ratchets, the Hazet stuff I have, and my Ko-ken stuff, everything else is just meh. Not bad, but not super exciting either.
I’m just not as huge a fan of some of my better tools like I thought I’d be. Outside of my Proto Italian ratchets, the Hazet stuff I have, and my Ko-ken stuff, everything else is just meh. Not bad, but not super exciting either.
larry4406
Well-known member
Hard to believe not one of the GJ members has any first hand inside intel from the plant.
There is rarely inside Intel on here.
There are, however, most of the world's best would be CEOs, masquerading as plumbers, electricians, and retired guys.
No offense to plumbers, electricians, or retired guys.
Probably very true.Stanley Black & Decker Announces 4th Quarter Dividend
Stanley Black Decker (NYSE: SWK) announced today that its Board of Directors approved a regular fourth quarter cash dividend of $0.80 per common share. This extends the company's record for the longest consecutive annual and quarterly dividend payments among industrial companies listed on the...ir.stanleyblackanddecker.com
Investors likely don't give a **** about Craftsman tools.