No Craftsman tools for Xmas
- Thread starter otis66
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Coach James
Well-known member
allinon72
Well-known member
I will gladly let them advertise all the gimmicky China tools, that way I can buy all the USA stuff on clearance. Then when all the USA stuff is gone, never step foot inside a Sears again.
byoungblood
Well-known member
I'll buy them or ask for them when they're on clearance. I'm not going to support their decision to move production to Asia by buying anything they make at normal retail.
IBJanky
Well-known member
Sadly, the majority of Americans do not care where Craftsman tools are made.
You're fighting an uphill battle.
myke
You're fighting an uphill battle.
myke
diesel research
Well-known member
Does anyone really need more RP wrenches?
I mean sure, we all have tools on the christmas list, but something so basic? Don't know about others, but my own personal wish list looks more like pneumatic/electric/hydraulic/diagnostic?
lowbucktruck
Well-known member
Yeah, that's the problem with Sears sales/marketing, isn't it? Same old stuff on sale every time, basic hardline tools and homeowner-grade toolboxes.
I look at the Sears sales flyer, then it becomes fuel for the woodstove. Make you wonder when someone at Sears gets a clue. Would be nice if they would have something else on sale for a change (IDK, something pricy like a torque wrench?)
Test Tech
Well-known member
You are exactly correct. Most Americans don't care where they are made or how good they are/aren't. Most Americans don't understand the value of good tools or fixing things in general. Not in a long time, and it kills me to see these people doing the things they do, the way they do them and trashing our country!
rsanter
Well-known member
you are right on the first point
on the second point he is voting with his dollar which more of us need to do. personally I cant remember the last time I bought anything at sears. I for a while was just going after the clearance stuff but have just stopped going because there comes the point that they are not worth dealing with and when something breaks you will get the china made one then
bob
mrstrictlygm
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That's the first thing I look at when buying tools, where they are made. The last time I went to Sears I was very suprised and disapointed that alot of the Craftsman tools are now being made in China. I will only purchase the Craftsman stuff made in USA, but its getting thinner and thinner every day.
gmwelder86
Well-known member
This is vary true, craftsman tools I think were perfect for the home DIY garage mechanic, You USED to get a good quality product at a reasonable price. Now you get a lesser product at the same price. I know its a basic cost vs profit thing for them but if I want to buy a made in china product I will pay a made in china price. IE HF pricing and quality, some of theirs stuff is a great value, I think with sears run to importing alot of their tools it will lead more people to shop at stores like HF, because when it comes down to it at sears importing alot of their goods all you will being paying the difference for is the craftsman name. And even now I can tell the difference between the craftsman tools my dad bought years ago and the stuff I get now. No where near the same quality in fit and finish.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
They had Craftsman Micrometer torque wrenches on sale black friday for $39.99. Granted, it's a made in PRC torque wrench though. They'll be on sale again for $59.99 during Craftsman club days 9-15 December.
Sears has had the same tools on sale for years it seems. It's not just raised panel wrenches, it's pry bar sets, impact socket sets, and the same old Gearwrench sets. It's time to move on as your needs change.
It's sad that Craftsman is going from a US made institution to an imported tool brand but, they had quite a run before it happened.
I do get a kick out of people saying they want to pay cheap prices for imported tools though. Sears was king of the pennies on the piece tool set. What are you guys going to do when everyone is selling PRC made tools at US prices? Buy Indian made tools at Harbor Freight?
One only needs to look north to Canada to understand what happens. Its called branding. Craftsman up there has been imported junk for decades. Ask people why they buy it and most will give you a story of grandpa's tools or quote a US site that praises Craftsman for great quality and value.You are exactly correct. Most Americans don't care where they are made or how good they are/aren't. Most Americans don't understand the value of good tools or fixing things in general. Not in a long time, and it kills me to see these people doing the things they do, the way they do them and trashing our country!
Brand name trumps COO. Very few people will realize that the origin or quality changed. The people that do care are not their target customers. Most companies would gladly throw 25% of their customers under a bus if they could cut their costs by 50%. A brand with a good reputation can ride on that reputation for many many years as Sears Canada has done.
Look at Jeep. Chrysler bought it only for the name. They couldn't get rid of all ties to the former products quick enough. Dropped parts support as well and alienated the former customers. Now we have nothing more than rebranded Dodges and people still brag about their "new Jeep".
atikovi
Well-known member
Especially if they have the lifetime warranty. If the tools are that bad, eventually Sears will have so many warranty claims they may switch to other suppliers. On the other hand, anything made in Japan was considered junk back in the '60's and see where they are now. Or look at Hyundai at how much better they have gotten in the last 10 years. In another 10 or 15 years made in China may be just as well made as any other source. I'm sure if Craftsman tools said made in Germany or Canada, nobody would be so upset.
The saddest thing is that the rp china ratchets I looked at in the store actually looked better, functioned smoother and seemed more consistent than the US ones (i.e., they all felt the same. The US ones were always really hit and miss - some worked fine, others were complete junk).
I believe Craftsman (Sears) went down hill when they were purchased by Kmart and there's a reason they went bankrupt.
Me too. The first thing I look at is, "Where was it made?" If it came from asia, specifically china, I put it down and walk away. That seems to happen to me more and more at Sears. I still buy Craftsman tools, but it's mostly used stuff from flea markets, garage sales, ebay, and swap meets/car shows. I've been finding great old USA made tools at bargain prices. I refuse to send any more money to china if I can avoid it.
Jim C.
cashishift
Well-known member
You are exactly correct. Most Americans don't care where they are made or how good they are/aren't. Most Americans don't understand the value of good tools or fixing things in general. Not in a long time, and it kills me to see these people doing the things they do, the way they do them and trashing our country!
Ditto.
So far I've fixed a lawn mower that was going to be thrown away, refurbished a spreader and many other things..
People don't care anymore.. why fix the old when I can go buy a new one, yay!
cashishift
Well-known member
camarotoolman
Banned
First, most people realy don't fix anything anymore, they throw it away and get a new one (on credit ofcourse) so they don't care about quality tools. Long as it is cheap and shinny that all that counts to them. I've been dealing with these loosers at the flee market for years.
Do any of you guys have any direct information on this? Speculative?
jethro29
Well-known member
and when the usa stuff breaks they'll replace it with the chinese stuff because that's all there will be soon,so what did you gain?
PECVD2
Well-known member
SO drug me to Mall/Sears earlier today. I went and hung out in the tool section while she shopped. I was looking at the compressors. I asked the two guys that approached me about the horizontal pro series. I was shocked with both of the stories these two DB's came up with. One guy says "these oil type compressors take air from the engine and these oil less types just take it from the air." His bozo buddy chimes in and says "yeah these air type break all the time so I would recommend the oil type". It took everything in me to keep from busting these two bozos up. What you say is true but it is an overall reflection of just the shear lack of overall knowledge of how most things work. One of these bozos was in his 30's and the other maybe early 20's. We have to put blame somewhere but I am just not smart enough to pinpoint it but we are failing miserably in our effort to educate our young.
kythri
Well-known member
For me, I'll buy US-made stuff if it still exists, and it's something I need/want.
When or if it breaks, I'll take advantage of the warranty and get it replaced. If it's overseas production, and it's equivalent quality to other brands that are acceptable to me, I'll keep it/use it.
Otherwise, I'll sell it and replace it with something that I consider to be better.
SMKS
Well-known member
Completely untrue.
The new SK has sent me two free rebuild kits and replaced a ratchet I sent in. The couple threads with comPlaints were people who tried to get SK to replace abused or rusted junk.
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waggie
Well-known member
I don't get it. if you want US made tool, then buy US made tool. craftsman isn't the only tool maker out there.
edit* just like to add that i probably have china and/or taiwan craftsman stuff in my toolbox.
edit* just like to add that i probably have china and/or taiwan craftsman stuff in my toolbox.
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TheGunCollector
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Weird. After reading so many threads about Craftsman being made in China on this, and many other forums, yesterday I decided to stop by my local Sears to see just how many of their tools are made in China.
I would say 9 out of 10 were still MADE IN THE USA. Some of the ratchets said Taiwan, and some of the cheap wrenches said China.
I was actually surprised to see so many still made in the USA. This is not to say that over the course of the next few years that more wont be switched to being made in China.
I would say 9 out of 10 were still MADE IN THE USA. Some of the ratchets said Taiwan, and some of the cheap wrenches said China.
I was actually surprised to see so many still made in the USA. This is not to say that over the course of the next few years that more wont be switched to being made in China.
Kent Skinner
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- Feb 7, 2010
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Really? Everybody who doesn't buy tools from a truck is an idiot?
No. The idiot is the guy who "needs" truck tools for putting together a swingset, assembling IKEA furniture and building a set of shelves in the garage, but can't afford them.
There's a place for all kinds of tools. My wife had a small box of **** tools when I met her. They were *fine* because she didn't use them for more than hanging pictures, tightening a loose screw, etc. Did she really need a starter tool kit for $2,500 from Snap-On? No. The **** from ACE Hardware was *perfect* for what she used them for.
My neighbor is a nice guy, but ready to lose his house. He, his wife and three kids will not have a place to live. He does a bit of work on his car, to save money. I'll go tell him he's an idiot for buying food instead of truck tools.
My brother is a full time mechanic, and has one of the biggest Snap-On boxes I've ever seen - and every drawer is full. He makes money from his tools, and the truck guys come to his shop - so it makes sense for him to spend big bucks on tools.
Ya see, everybody is different, and everybody's situation is different. The last thing we need is some guy telling people that they are idiots because they don't do exactly what he thinks they should do.
A little tolerance goes a long ways.
powertrip
Well-known member
With all due respect, I think your math is wrong.
powertrip
Well-known member
Damn.. that was brillant !!
kythri
Well-known member
We haven't seen any sightings of non-USA sockets or raised panel wrenches - yet.
We have seen sightings of all three drive size Chinese raised panel ratchets, and Taiwanese-produced 1/4" thin profile/next generation ratchets.
The assumption (and I think we all realize that it's just an assumption, though a well-founded one) is that the other products will follow suit as time goes by.
If your store doesn't have Chinese ratchets, well, that's simply a matter of them selling out of the US-produced ones, and the warehouse offloading their stock. They're in the wild, and unless they're some idiotic market test, we'll all see them.
My local store doesn't have any of them yet, however the receiving manager and the PMT were very aware that they're in the pipeline, and they weren't happy about it, either.
Kent Skinner
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Sounds like I need to swap all my broken CMan stuff. Now.
Taiwan and China have the ability to make good stuff - will Sears let them, or will Sears have them make ****?
I haven't bought CMan stuff in a long time, because I wasn't happy with the quality. I still haven't found much in the way of US made hand tools that have reasonable price tags.
It makes me happy that I have most of the hand tools I'll need, other than a few odd-ball things. I feel bad for the younger guys trying to buy US made tools, but don't have the budget for truck tools.
diesel research
Well-known member
Actually, the impact sockets were the first to be spotted. Not from the universal/maxx axxess/evolv line, but regularly labeled craftsman impacts.
Now if you had only meant chrome, I agree, it's one of the last holdouts.
Still surprised the RP wrench stuff hadn't switched years ago, it makes more sense to keep the cheap stuff cheap, instead of trying to blur the lines between the [former] pro and basic RP.
american lockpicker
Banned
I bought a craftsman heatgun thats made in Switzerland(they even had a few soldering irons made in USA) and some English woodworking tools. Sears has a few good items you just have to look for them.
98TJ
Well-known member
I'd love to have a SAE & metric set of the American made Professional (polished) combination wrenches. I've been searching for them but the only thing I've seen in stores is Chinese.
Does anyone know if the sets that can be ordered online are American or Chinese made?
Does anyone know if the sets that can be ordered online are American or Chinese made?
If you want them that bad I can get them for you - my store has the 18 pc and 10 pc add on. Last time I bought both sets for a shade under $200. That goes up to 24mm and I want to say 1-1/8" but not sure.
I've owned two sets of each and personally while they feel great in the hand and look sweet in your box, my recently manufactured raised panels are tighter and stronger than the "professional" stamped wrenches. I've reluctantly returned both sets of the pro USA wrenches and kept my RP's.
The 15mm and 13mm both spread on me while playing around with them, the 13mm at 18 ft-lbs. Pretty damn low. My RP took the nut off without a hitch.
98TJ
Well-known member
Interesting.
I wanted them just for the sake of not getting grease embedded in the finish like the RP stuff. Then there's sweat. I've found a few of my RPs have developed surface rust in the low areas. I can only assume that's from sweat.
All of my tools will be shipped to Hawaii in the spring so I'm going to have to give them a good wipe down before they go on the boat.
Walterchang
Well-known member
Testify my brother I have zero interest in anything Craftsman. Ive moved on to finer tastes European tools. I have to specify exactly what to buy, I am asking for Wera screwdrivers. I swear if I get Craftsman screwdrivers I will throw them at the person who got them.