Sears a good and bad experiance

[mrholeshot]

Went to Sears this morning in serch of a new bench grinder. Ran into an old friend I havent seen in years as I past the checkout when I went in. I spun around and starting talking and he was in getting a handful of ratchets warrantied out. He had some of the old round head ratchets that they no longer make (the really good ones) and the sales person came up and told him they no longer make those ratchets so we will have to replce them with these as he handed him a handful of Evlov ratchets. I couldn't hold back. I told him not to accept those ratchets as they are made in China, no where near the quality and he will have to keep the receipt forever. "But it has Craftman on it". He ask the cashier and the cashier verified it. I got pissed of they were trying to give him Evlov tools as he didn't know what to do. I called manager down and explained to him what happened (my old friend isn't very good in situations such as this) and told him when those ratchets came out the were the "Sears Best" Craftsman ratchets so he needed to replace them with such. After about 15 minutes of intence discussion on Sears decline into China and the lack of knowledge my friend walked out with 5 new Craftsman Thinline ratchets. I was really pissed that they tried to screw over someone who didn't know any better but was happy at first because the Evolv ratchets were nice looking. The help (if you can call it that) has gone to the dogs.

Now the good stuff. while I couldn't find the bench grinder I was looking for (now on order)I decided to look at the new Craftsman 1/4 flex but they didn't have it. I did find a clearance on SK 1/4 flex handle ratchets. I've been in that store 1000 times and have never seen these so they must have been in the back somewhwere but they were 19.95 each and they had 2 of them. I got them both. I stopped by my sons job and gave him one of them and kept the other. Very nice 72 tooth and very smooth and well made (hey it is SK)

I should have turned around and left but I couldn't help myself as I picked up a couple of ratchets and a set of the pro shorty torx drivers.

I did see USA made Pro wrench sets in metric and SAE in 9 and 13 pc sets. I wanted to pull the trigger on a set of of each of the 13 pc sets but was able to refrain myself (in other words I didn't have enough cash, lol) and saw a new shipment of the China Pro line wrenches. look exactly like the SK ones and the quality looked great. Much better than the ones I saw a few weeks ago. Once upon a time(not long ago) in that store the servive was excellant. Now it has become like self service until you need something and then you have to hunt someone down to unlock some stuff. employees have been replaced with security devices.

 

[eborcim]

Nice find on the little SKs.

So what was broken on the older Cmans?? Repairable at all?

That Sears has probably posted your picture on the "most wanted" section for employees to see. Good Job!

 

[Theloniousmonk]

Nice haul! Those long handle teardrops are great ratchets! Nice SK find too! Well done helping out your friend... what comes around goes around.

 

[plinker]

Similar story on ratchets,

My Dad had a 1/4 RHFT ratchet that he didnt use anymore so my Brother had it. Well it was stripped, took it to the small semi-local Sears and ended up getting the raised panel basic ratchet in return (Didnt know any better at the time).

PO's me to think about it now.



That S-K ratchet look nice!

 

[Cummins_Powered]

I have that bent head flex handled polished, and i have never had any issues with it. Cheap, warranty, and better than the raised panels.

 

[mrholeshot]

Nice find on the little SKs.

So what was broken on the older Cmans?? Repairable at all?

That Sears has probably posted your picture on the "most wanted" section for employees to see. Good Job!

I really don't know what was broken in his ratchets other than he said "They are stripped" They didn't have the kits for those ratchets. The employees (whats left of them) see me often.

 

[mrholeshot]

Nice haul! Those long handle teardrops are great ratchets! Nice SK find too! Well done helping out your friend... what comes around goes around.

They are OK, Nothing special but acceptable. I have a few of the fisrt ones that came out and they do OK but arn't as strong as some I have. If I don't put the mallet on them they should be OK, lol

 

[mrholeshot]

Similar story on ratchets,

My Dad had a 1/4 RHFT ratchet that he didnt use anymore so my Brother had it. Well it was stripped, took it to the small semi-local Sears and ended up getting the raised panel basic ratchet in return (Didnt know any better at the time).

PO's me to think about it now.



That S-K ratchet look nice!

I hate it when people are taken advantage of because they don't know any better and will accept anything the salesperson hands them because they still think Sears is a trusted name. I was going to buy the 3 pc set of thin profiles but they wouldn't match the catalog price. I already had one run in with the manager with my friend and wasn't in the mood for another. A good sales person would have gone to the manager and asked.

 

[mrholeshot]

I have that bent head flex handled polished, and i have never had any issues with it. Cheap, warranty, and better than the raised panels.

I love the handle, I may put a Duralast head on it, lol

 

[Wakefield]

I wonder what the average time after a tool such as SK is/was before it went through resale to a merchant,spent time as inventory until it finally found a home with a user.
In other words,do a lot of the tools spend a couple years or more before finding a home after they are made?

 

[oak_park]

I did find a clearance on SK 1/4 flex handle ratchets. I've been in that store 1000 times and have never seen these so they must have been in the back somewhwere but they were 19.95 each and they had 2 of them. I got them both. I stopped by my sons job and gave him one of them and kept the other. Very nice 72 tooth and very smooth and well made (hey it is SK).

I'm pretty sure those ratchets are not 72 teeth. Those are the 36 tooth versions. Still nice though. A good price too.

 

[mrholeshot]

I'm pretty sure those ratchets are not 72 teeth. Those are the 36 tooth versions. Still nice though. A good price too.

I counted and it's 72. Thought it was 36 when I bought it.

 

[mrholeshot]

I looked up the part number and they all say 36. I had 72 clicks in one rev. It may have dual position pawls, I'll know for sure tommorow

 

[billymade]

Just for future reference; if you need to warranty a Craftsman RHFT ratchet, have them order you a new one through the catalog.... it will be shipped to your house, free of charge. Many times, the store won't have the rebuild kits for them; they will try to give you one of the sucky standard ratchets! Refuse it and have them get you the real deal; they are only available through the Tool Catalog...

 

[woody 73]

You did a good job helping your friend out,well done!!!

Somehow (just my two cents),perhaps the sears employeee,the ones who are paid very little might not understand the tool dept. and the gave your friend the evolv tools. This does not make it right as they shoul know better; Sears is going down hill.

 

[warmpancakes]

Just for future reference; if you need to warranty a Craftsman RHFT ratchet, have them order you a new one through the catalog.... it will be shipped to your house, free of charge. Many times, the store won't have the rebuild kits for them; they will try to give you one of the sucky standard ratchets! Refuse it and have them get you the real deal; they are only available through the Tool Catalog...

My sears will swap them for any ratchet of the same size I can take rhft in and walk out with choice after the discussion I had with manager

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Just for future reference; if you need to warranty a Craftsman RHFT ratchet, have them order you a new one through the catalog.... it will be shipped to your house, free of charge. Many times, the store won't have the rebuild kits for them; they will try to give you one of the sucky standard ratchets! Refuse it and have them get you the real deal; they are only available through the Tool Catalog...

Billy, find them in the catalog! To the best of my knowledge (and trying to order some more recently) they have been discontinued (from Sears). The flex head versions, appear to be no more, but they are still made under other brands (and can be found reasonably on some current brand closeouts).