new (chinese) craftsman quality, better than expected

[General Geoff]

I ordered a few craftsman tools at sears.com because they were on sale and I had a coupon code. I had very low expectations because these are newer manufacture, but I was pleasantly surprised.

First pic is of a 3/8" wobble extension, second is a 1/2" regular extension. The chrome is good and broaching is spot on. Way better than I expected. Will report back after I put some elbow grease on them and see how they fare.

I don't expect everything chinese-made to be this nice, but at the very least I lucked out with these.

 

[camino01]

No me gusta la herramienta china, TIENEN BAJA CALIDAD !

 

[bahcoswed]

Yes they look nice, but i can bet the wobble extension is not working so good if you compare to the real stuff! The angle on the wobble look so small i know because i sitting with a china made and a koken wobble and comparing them! The chinese is very small angle and wobbling very bad! Are like day and night against koken and stahlwille. But besides that it look great


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[General Geoff]

I have some SK wobbles to which I will compare them at my next opportunity.

 

[bahcoswed]

the cheap chinese are wobbling so bad and crappy! The koken are so smooth


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[General Geoff]

I love Ko-Ken, but these extensions are going into my junkyard/mobile tool kit so spending ~5 times the money on nice extensions isn't my first choice.

I'll probably end up with some Ko-Ken wobbles in the future anyway though.

 

[carterbeauford]

how do you figure the chrome is good? the first and last Chinese Craftsman tool I bought, a 3/8 flex head ratchet, rusted right in the drawer without ever having been used.

 

[bahcoswed]

I have a few tools i have bought...wrenches are atleast twice the size in material thickness! They get cracked very easly! The chrome chpping of if the tool get a scratch! All these things do not happend on quality tool! Believe me, my afternoon exercises are to test crappy tools to destruction


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[outdoorsman310]

If i want chinese tools, I'll go to harbor freight and buy them for 1/4th the price of chinese craftsman

 

[General Geoff]

If i want chinese tools, I'll go to harbor freight and buy them for 1/4th the price of chinese craftsman

That's my usual modus operandi, but the sale and coupon code meant I got these even cheaper than HF.

 

[kenburkholz]

I couldn't agree more. If you are going to buy Chinese tools, buy them for a cheap price at a place you know, not some place that tries to ******** you into believing the quality is the same as always. I can hardly wait until Sears finally dies so I can piss on its grave. Ken.

 

[zkling]

IMHO the China made ones are more visually appealing to the unknowing. They are typically shiner, smoother edges and more complex shaped than their USA counterparts. Marketing ploy?

 

[Wakefield]

Plastichrome?

 

[frankush]

I'd be willing to bet that those in the upper echelon at Sears, consider the new Chinese Craftsman stuff to be just as good as the old. They had an initial run manufactured and compared quality to the then current product. It meant savings in manufacturing costs, while still being sold at the same price. I'm sure they expected lots of complaints about moving production overseas. They don't care. Period! If sales die, it will just be another nail in the coffin.

 

[d.mcfarland]

If it breaks or gets abused even ... the warranty gives him a brand new one. I know others would as well, but his point is that he expected very little and was at least satisfied with the discounted price he paid and felt it was fair. I agree the Chinese made Craftsman isn't the same, but it sure isn't unusable.

 

[KEH]

Er, guys, the HF sockets and ratchets are made in Taiwan, not China. Hf does sell a lot of Chinese stuff, but not those items, AFIK not having made a scientific survey. I don't know how well the HF hand tools hold up. I also don't know how well the Sears Chinese hand tools hold up, but as of earlier this year I was told that the Chinese ratchets came in with no lubrication and were breaking often.

I have noticed that the HF box end sets are made in India.

KEH

 

[BK13]

Gonna bother posting any more photos, General? Nothing like throwing something up and having everybody bang on the stuff you just bought. And didn't you realize that no matter what your eyes tell you, you are wrong and some yahoo on da innernet is right about the finish.

 

[General Geoff]

Hey, nothing wrong with opinions!

The chrome looks fine, I should say. Time will tell if it holds up to humidity/moisture. If I end up not liking them or if they break too easily, I can always replace them under warranty and then give some new tools to friends or family. My experience is that tools are (almost) never a waste of money. And extensions are something that most anyone who turns wrenches even just occasionally, can put to great use.

 

[krdiesel03]

Standard GJ anti craftsman post. Guy buys some tools and finds that a country that can make computers is able to make a piece of steel. Everyone piles on him because he got a nice tool without being shanked by snap-on.

 

[BK13]

shanked by snap-on.

Laughin'

 

[General Geoff]

Everyone piles on him because he got a nice tool without being shanked by snap-on.

Not gonna lie, I like snap-on, I just don't have thousands to spend on tools that I don't make a living with. I did splurge on a new SL80A ratchet (got it for about half retail) last year, and would like to eventually get an FL80 to match. For folks who can afford snap-on everything, more power to ya!

 

[krdiesel03]

I have no issue with snap on tools, Yes they are pricey but they are nice and do hold up. I have a unlimited tool budget so cost is not an issue for me, If i like something I get it. It is just the predatory tactics of the truck drivers, almost as bad as Amway on new techs.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Unlimited tool budget?

Let's put that to use and get some serious USA vs. foreign testing done since you are so passionate about it!!

 

[sberry]

I have seen a few China Cman and they seem fine and even good considering the price.

 

[Requin6]

I just bought a 1/2 drive 20 inch extension from Sears and the tag said made in Taiwan. I have been looking for an American made model for some time with no luck.

I must say that I share the same sentiment as the OP. Fit and finish seem to be very nice.

 

[krdiesel03]

What do you want tested?

I am a manager at a large power company. it is a different way of thinking than a car mechanic. If one of my guys needs something he gets it. Having a generator off line for a few hours costs more than all of the tools in a large dealership.

 

[treblarefils]

The craftsman stuff is still better quality than the harbor freight at least as far as initial look\chrome I have harbor freight extensions and they work fine but when you compare them to craftsman ones I have the craftsman looks like snap on in comparison. I consider craftsman 1 step above china freight. Im no tool snob I have a little of everything in my box. harbor freight chrome looks ok but when compared to better stuff it looks bad although some of the hf sockets I have look great and I still haven't broken any yet....lol

 

[d.mcfarland]

What do you want tested?

How about going along with this thread, lets test torsional strength of a USA Craftsman extension vs a Chinese made Craftsman extension. Then let's go ratchets. All the top brands please. 3/8 drive.

 

[General Geoff]

Having a generator off line for a few hours costs more than all of the tools in a large dealership.

I'm trying to imagine working in that environment... "No pressure"...

 

[treblarefils]

At my job the customer charges 10k per minute of downtime it is a big deal. Can get bad really quick. automotive manufacturing industry.

 

[krdiesel03]

Actually I did a test a few months ago on a few extensions and posted the results.

We have no pressure at the plant, well some, 2000 PSI and 1000 C temp in the steam line. I recommend it though, better pay, better training, better safety. My techs are not a quota or number to me, they are my friends.

 

[Jeremiah14]

I couldn't agree more. If you are going to buy Chinese tools, buy them for a cheap price at a place you know, not some place that tries to ******** you into believing the quality is the same as always. I can hardly wait until Sears finally dies so I can piss on its grave. Ken.

Well said.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Actually I did a test a few months ago on a few extensions and posted the results.

I remember. I also remember you had zero pictures, data, or proof.

If money is not a factor and your "friends" are counting on you to provide them with the best tools, let's find the best. Chinese or not. Bring data, and pictures to prove it. We go by scientific fact, not theory. Because in "theory" the Chinese Craftsman extension the OP has will work exactly the same as their USA made counter part. Scientific fact, however, states that the metal, the chrome, the tempering, the manufacturing process, etc. all play a much more important role in the performance.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

if you are happy with your tool, that is all matter. enjoy!

 

[krdiesel03]

I will try and get you some numbers. Do you feel that the Chinese cannot make a piece of quality steel?

Just to make a point, we do have a USA 1st policy on all products including tools. We are a US company and also a union shop. My point is that blind hate of craftsman just because some of the tools are over seas is dumb.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I will try and get you some numbers. Do you feel that the Chinese cannot make a piece of quality steel?

Just to make a point, we do have a USA 1st policy on all products including tools. We are a US company and also a union shop. My point is that blind hate of craftsman just because some of the tools are over seas is dumb.

First, let's recognize your self-bias. That's important. Your picture shows a Craftsman member of the month seal. You obviously like the Craftsman name.

I actually believe the Chinese can make good steel. I don't believe they do for the intentions we are discussing. We are talking about a modern America. One that has a consumer who is obsessed with consumption. We also have a corporate America, drive by shareholders and numbers, that want profits. Large companies did not send production to the cheapest source of labor just because it was convenient. They did it to make more money. I would imagine they cut corners in the quality as well, just because a warranty return is still cheap as hell compared to another item just sitting on a shelf.

 

[krdiesel03]

OK, I do admit I have a craftsman bias, and I also admit that for home I have almost all US craftsman. I guess my big issue is with how the tool trucks **** kids into a life of debt. I hire some of the kids after they have worked at a dealership for a few years and they have 10K or more debt in tools. I do not think that industry will ever change, But I do believe it would be better for everyone if a man was provided with what he needed to do his job.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I also have a great Craftsman (USA) assortment to my name! I haven't had a problem, but also should note I don't use them daily.

I agree that the prestige that is oftentimes associated with big name tools is a downfall to many also. Let's agree that they do make good tools and have good warranty programs and finally that the convenience of the truck is worth something to a pro.

Lastly, I have seen pictures of Chinese Craftsman steel looking very very similar to cheap pot metal. That's disheartening and we can both agree that it's a much cheaper product to the steel used by the truck brands. With that in mind, as long as there is a warranty, someone who buys the tools and breaks it can replace it for free and still get the same usage out of it, whether it's a cheaper Chinese unit or an older USA one.

I'm a value person. I buy used if it works. The OP got a good value it seems like and wants to use those tools, not polish them! I applaud that. Get them dirty and use them, that's what they are meant for. If it breaks, take a pic for us and go get your free replacement!

 

[krdiesel03]

I think we are on the same page the truck tools are most of the time top quality, and the convenience of having a guy come to your shop if you do not have the advantage of picking up a phone and having anything in the catalog in your hand in a hour.

I do wish craftsman would have stayed in the US for everything, and I am on active hunts picking up the few odd and ends that I can find US made. I just picked up all of the locking flex wrenches, regular and stubby. Nice Texas made tool.


I do get on my high horse at times and should chill, I am the man that still thinks the 6.0 powerstroke is the best engine ever made!

 

[d.mcfarland]

There are actually a lot of people who like to find the remaining USA deals on Craftsman stuff because they are good useable tools for many of us. I work for the Government so not even a daily tool user, but they get plenty of DIY use.

And the sad part is that the USA tools I am using, when they do fail from repeated use, I will warranty them for the Chinese ones because at the end of the day I need the tool.