I'll join in hating Sears now

[Trucky]

Newer ones are not as of 2008/2009. Is there a little Hex key slot in the bolt that adjusts them? Is the release lever held in by a little rolled metal pin you can see through or by a solid rivet?

Every American made (literally and with global components) VG has the roll pin that holds the lever inside the handle.

Now, after establishing that, it is important to note that US made vise grips were also made with the hex key (nearing the very end of the US made run) in the bolt as well. Not many at all compared to the Chicom/Taiwanese made ones, but there exists those as well. The easiest way is to look for the roll pin and the nickel plating that isn't so... flat/matte. Think more shiny and polished.

 

[BackTracker]

Volvo is owned by a Chinese company now. Look on their cars and theyre filled with Chinese parts. I know someone who has one and on all the windows it says China in little letters below the number code and other little box of text in the corner of the window.



Sure, my American made Truck has Foreign parts. But I take pride in the fact that it was Built Ford Tough in Kansas City with an American made Engine and CHINESE Transmission.

And I applaud the Foreign Carmakers for bringing production over here to America.

Fixed.


Source.
http://jalopnik.com/5792482/faulty-chinese+built-transmissions-plague-new-ford-mustang

http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=34639



Also, foreign trucks made in the USA is due to a tariff called the "Chicken Tax".

Now read up on the imported Ford transit connect, and how they get around it. Furthermore, made in Canada might as well be made in the USA. It is the 51'st state after all

 

[lowbucktruck]

If you really want new USA Craftsman, Armstrong and Matco are probably what you're looking for. It's all Danaher.

As for future purchases, SK and Williams USA could use the support. They make quality tools in the USA, and they make better tools than Craftsman has in a very, very long time. As far as I know, Blackhawk sockets and wrenches are also USA (ratchets are US of global components).

Not sure that I understand the moaning about the demise of Craftsman. Yes, it was convenient, but we all know they had been in a steep decline for some time. Sure, you could easily warranty that inferior tool...or you could just buy SK and Williams USA and not worry so much about having to use that warranty when a crappy RP ratchet free wheels.

There are better USA options out there. Stop throwing your money at Sears and Danaher and support the companies that have committed to keeping their production here at home.

Well said! Besides, guys tend to forget that Sears does not manufacture anything, they are strictly a retailer and contract out all Craftsman tool production. The declining quality of Craftsman tools has alot to do with that actual factory (example: Danaher) producing those tools. Unless the new Chinese manufacturer making the "new" shiny Craftsman tools has better quality-control and someone at Sears is in charge of monitoring the quality of the tool production, it will be the same old problem (just new players).

I'd rather vote with my wallet and buy tools from manufacturers still making tools here in the States. S-K, for example.
But I am mainly concerned about getting a quality tool for my money's worth. That probably makes me (and most of us here on GJ) a minority amongst the mob of consumers in this country. The typical target consumer market for Sears is Joe Public homeowner, who purchases his tools without concern of COO or quality of manufacture. Let's face it, alot of us here on GJ have high standards where our tools are concerned.

 

[RedFordTruck]

Fixed.


Source.
http://jalopnik.com/5792482/faulty-chinese+built-transmissions-plague-new-ford-mustang

http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=34639



Also, foreign trucks made in the USA is due to a tariff called the "Chicken Tax".

Now read up on the imported Ford transit connect, and how they get around it. Furthermore, made in Canada might as well be made in the USA. It is the 51'st state after all

I dont own a Mustang. I have a F150. And in case you couldnt tell... its Red!

 

[HandyManny]

I dont own a Mustang. I have a F150. And in case you couldnt tell... its Red!

I'm getting way off subject here as this whole thread has gotten. But, that Kansas City Assembly plany where both our F-150's were built is actually in partnetship with a Chinese car maker and working to help get their cars certified to be sold in the US market. In fact that Chinese maker is now certified for approval of sales in Europe right now. Just a matter of time before we're seeing full fledged Chinese cars sold here, funny thing is that those new Chinese cars might actually eventually be made here.

 

[WR250F]

Sears going all chicom *****.

That said, it is indeed true that Sears doesn't make one single tool, they are marketing and retail only.

Given the quality of the last 2-3 things I've owned that came from a Danaher plant, I can see Sears shopping for another source. If all the US sources are 40% high due to labor costs or import of materials overhead, then this alone would make a chinese source attractive to Sears.

With Sears has been rumored to be in a financial rough spot. The difference in cost of chicom vs US made could prove to be the reason they are going chinese on their flagship product, then whoring it out to anyone who wants to retail it.

The suits might believe this is the only way to find enough revenue to survive and they might be right.

Remember, the folks here at GJ are likely the majority of consumers who care even a little bit about COO and many or most of us have already decided to buy a different brand.

I can see the bean counters taking any cost savings they can and to hell with the 100 or so people of GJ who don't like it.

Not an excuse or a defense, but the fact is labor costs in this country aren't even close to competitive and the politicians aren't going to do one damned thing about it - certainly not in an election year.

And don't even start on the cost of union labor and benefits because it's all a spiral... inflation... higher salaries are demanded by unions... which brings higher prices... which causes the purchase price to go up... which means not as many consumers can afford union made products... and so on.

And don't forget pure greed on the part of Sears management and their obligation to investors to remain profitable

We might as well make peace with the fact that Craftsman tools = chinese now.

Get over it, buy something else and move on because it ain't going to change and us bitching about it won't make one single bit of difference to Sears.

 

[osborn.ozzy]

>chicom
this isn't the 1970's people.

 

[Trucky]

>chicom
this isn't the 1970's people.

It's still the 70's over there

 

[HandyManny]

You're thinking of Urrea, I believe.

Yup that's them. Thanks. Just wasn't sure how to spell the name, but it was on the tip of my tongue. I've never held or used any of their stuff, so it wasn't fresh in my mind.

 

[RedFordTruck]

I'm getting way off subject here as this whole thread has gotten. But, that Kansas City Assembly plany where both our F-150's were built is actually in partnetship with a Chinese car maker and working to help get their cars certified to be sold in the US market. In fact that Chinese maker is now certified for approval of sales in Europe right now. Just a matter of time before we're seeing full fledged Chinese cars sold here, funny thing is that those new Chinese cars might actually eventually be made here.

Is this the same Chinese company that is ripping off designs from other car companies?

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/02/chinese-auto-maker-jac-likes-f-150-.html

 

[GOLF for LIFE]

The only things that I ever purchased from sears were tools. I found that there tools for the most part were well made and if a problem came up I could always return the offending tool for a free replacement. I understand that now craftsman now means made in china, well no more craftsman tools for me...
Looks like sears-k-fart are going down together.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

>chicom
this isn't the 1970's people.

Chinese Communists.

Still fits, as technically Taiwan is China too, just not Communist. ROC vs PRC.

 

[geologist]

China produces ****. I'd love to see how many of the Chi-**** toys of the 80s and early 90s were loaded up with lead. Makes you think about why there is such an autism epidemic these past 10 or 20 years.

I drive a 2012 Focus at work. The variable transmission was recalled because its garbage. Rolls back on hills like its in neutral. Gotta floor it to get it to accelerate sometimes. Oh, and it lurched forward 2 feet when I went to start it the other day. Not to mention you barely need to turn the key to get it to self-start. 1,700 miles on it. The recall was a joke. Hasnt fixed much of anything.

As for China, it seems to laugh at patents, knocks off US /Euro designs, then sells defective half assed garbage in its quest to kill global business by undercutting. When I hear about a little commie chi-fuk ******* earning a buck a day, GOOD. They deserve nothing more for underhandedness.

Anti-freeze toothpaste. Yeah. Look that up. If you can explain to me how antifreeze ends up in toothpaste, Im all ears but I consider it to be an economic war.

US craftsman is great. Some of the Tai craftsman is decent, but the china garbage is total ****, as is Sears for selling itself out.