The bad rep is over the tool being loose in the textured grip. I can understand why this might bother people, but I wouldn't call the picks junk. The grips simply slip on. Ullman (the parent mfg) even sells these under their own name without the textured grip.
To be fair Ullman does state that "Each hook and pick is...
permanently attached to a cushioned textured grip..." I bought the Craftman set over the summer and simply pull the grips off during use. For someone that wants to keep the grips on, I'd just get some adhesive in there and reinsert the tool. Otherwise, I haven't had any issues with the business end of the tool.