Sears Pass/Fail Permathread!

[pauls_workshop]

Ok folks, this never used to be necessary but now I feel it is. Let's start a Sears Pass/Fail Permathread! Sears has changed suppliers and designs a great deal in recent years. What is good now and what is not is potentially very different than in the past. Please list your passes and fails on tools or supplies for currently available products. Post a link to the item or clearly identify the part numbers involved for clarity. Let's go! - Paul

 

[d.mcfarland]

This isn't going to go well. Just my 2c.

 

[ctjohnson]

All made in China craftsman hand tools: FAIL

 

[zoomieport]

Are they still in business? FAIL

 

[woody 73]

Oy Vey this post is not going to over very well...

 

[anti-everything1990]

Craftsman bolt out kit: pass

Craftsman maxx axess combination wrenches: pass

Recent buys I've used alot. There good

 

[Otot]

If you dont have a product to review, keep your opinions to yourself. This is not a thread to bash on sears.

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[d.mcfarland]

The problem is that Sears is in the middle of the switch from USA to Chinese products. Some people are getting USA and some are Chinese. That makes a lot of difference on many products.

Products like screwdrivers have always been a decent buy: PASS.

 

[Deskmechanic]

$9.99 wrench roll: PASS

 

[pauls_workshop]

Ok guys, a good start, but please do list product numbers or links to the products so we know what is being reviewed. Products change over time so need to id what it is.

Although many don't like the China COOs, not all China COO is bad. Gearwrench is now mostly China COO and the racheting flex wrenches from China are still GOOD quality and design. I would buy those again. These are here:

http://www.sears.com/search=gearwre...T_REC_PRED&prop17=gearwrench 7 flex racheting

Let's be sure to list whether US or China/Foreign COO if that matters to the Pass/Fail review. Also say WHY you either pass or fail, give some explanation or reasons.

Note also, this is not exclusive to Craftsmen but to SEARS. You can list any product you can buy from SEARS. Goal here is to come up with something like the HF pass/fail thread over time. There are going to be some gems at Sears just like there are at HF. Let's identify those things. - Paul

 

[pauls_workshop]

Here is another PASS for me, the LED light. These sometimes go on sale at $18 or less. Very good rechargeable or corded light, great for under the hood:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-cord...p-03473904000P?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3

- Paul

 

[pauls_workshop]

Here is a good PASS for me also: Tri Grips Bench Cookies for woodworking. They help you hold your board or project to your workbench while you sand it or rout it or work on it. Useful. Made in the USA. These were less than $5 a set back in December on sale:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-trig...p-00934765000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

- Paul

 

[Kenskip1]

Pass for me=Now I am all for tools made in the USA but show me a cordless one that is! I just purchased a C3 1/2 drive Impact Wrench from Sears. The kit was for sale at $89.95. My first choice was a Milwaukee but the price was out of my budget. The tool has 200LBs of torque (as advertised) and it does what I require it to do, plane and simple.best bang for the buck,Ken

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-c3-1...p-00931305000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

 

[byoungblood]

Craftsman Professional screwdrivers: PASS

Get them while you can though. Sears has been gradually reducing their availability over the past couple of years. Torx drivers seem to be next on the chopping block. They are, of course, identical to the cushion grip SK drivers at a much more palatable price for most.

 

[DSLTRK]

Eddie Lampert: FAIL
Imported Craftsman tools: FAIL
Dingy store condition and atmosphere: FAIL
Countless denied warranty claims: FAIL
Customer service: FAIL
Stock investments: FAIL
Quarterly earnings: FAIL
Getting in debt: PASS
******* off past and potential customers: PASS

 

[pauls_workshop]

DSL: Please list specific product numbers if you would in your review!

Let's not make this a Sears rant thread. This is about product reviews and Pass/Fails. I want Sears to improve too, but there are some good products out there now worth getting. Let's identify those, and those not worth pursuing. Let's keep it to SPECIFIC PRODUCTS. thx - Paul

 

[thesilverone]

Eddie Lampert: FAIL
Imported Craftsman tools: FAIL
Dingy store condition and atmosphere: FAIL
Countless denied warranty claims: FAIL
Customer service: FAIL
Stock investments: FAIL
Quarterly earnings: FAIL
Getting in debt: PASS
******* off past and potential customers: PASS

best post in this thread

/end thread

 

[ihateminimumwage]

...Gearwrench is now mostly China COO and the racheting flex wrenches from China are still GOOD quality and design.

Most of the GW at Sears is now china. Everything I've bought from anywhere else is Taiwan (Chrome & Impact sockets, ratchets, ratcheting wrenches, all the KD re-badged stuff, scrapers, etc).

Last stuff I've bought at Sears that was great (still USA when I purchased):

3 Piece CM Prybar Set (Model # 43278)
3 Piece CM Professional Striking Prybar Set (Model # 61355-998)
23 Piece CM Screwdriver Set (Model # 31796)

 

[oldtools]

CM non professional screwdriver: somewhat fail

After several years, the plastic stick so bad that it is difficult to use.

 

[Brownsfan]

All my craftsman wrenches, ratchets and sockets are USA made. Most was bought in th 90's. The latest additions were the 3 sockets modules(all USA an last at the store) and every Pro series screwdriver I could find. All get a huge PASS. The stuff I bought in the 90's is still as good as the day I bought it. I even own bit sockets from that era and they are still fine. The last socket I broke was so long ago I can't even really remember. I have MANY craftsman USA tools and have had zero issues. Even the standard ratchets. Will I ever buy China made craftsman? I don't know at this point. Right now with so many other options that are far better for similar $ probably not unless there is a immediate need

 

[Brownsfan]

Now for current made tools.
Any of the 12v nextec drills, impacts and lights. HUGE PASS

The c3 drill and impact combo. HUGE PASS
For the money spent I couldn't ask for better. They have been nothing short of fantastic.

 

[Wamsutta]

MAJOR PASS!

Item # 00973573000P Model # 73573

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-professional-wire-cutter-stripper-pliers-up-front/p-00973573000P

 

[harvero]

I'm done with them. I thought that I'd give them one last chance. They had a floor standing drill press for a $100 off and with free shipping last November, so I ordered one. UPS delivered a pile of trash in my driveway. Sears did arrange for pick of the remains, but refused to send another one out. I was told I was welcome to order another one at full price. UPS would not pick up the pile of pieces without it being package in a box Neither UPS or Sears were willing to send me a box.

 

[shopboy13]

I'm done with them. I thought that I'd give them one last chance. They had a floor standing drill press for a $100 off and with free shipping last November, so I ordered one. UPS delivered a pile of trash in my driveway. Sears did arrange for pick of the remains, but refused to send another one out. I was told I was welcome to order another one at full price. UPS would not pick up the pile of pieces without it being package in a box Neither UPS or Sears were willing to send me a box.






That's just plain unacceptable.


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[cheechi]

Hand impact driver Pass USA
Jigsaw blades Pass (Bosch rebrands, Swiss)
20ga wide crown stapler Pass not sure coo

Craftsman branded clothes, specifically Dickies style pants & shirts Pass for me, I don't put them to the absolute test but they're fairly comfortable and clean up pretty well. Same with the shoes. Those might be branded Die Hard actually. coo probably china.

Anything that says evolv Fail

I do agree those triangle bench dogs are great. I have some of the regular ones and the triangles are better in some situations.

A lot of the big passes are pretty common knowledge across GJ. Same really with most of the big fails.

 

[pauls_workshop]

MAJOR PASS!

Item # 00973573000P Model # 73573

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-professional-wire-cutter-stripper-pliers-up-front/p-00973573000P

Now that is an interesting pair of strippers I wasn't aware of. Does anyone know who makes this one for Craftsman? US made? - Paul

 

[pauls_workshop]

I got a good Sears FAIL: Wolverine boots. I had a pair of steel toe Wolverine boots a few years back from Sears with the cushion sole they have been putting on shoes and boots. Well, they sat about two years till I started to really need them, then when I used them, they failed within one week. The cushion sole on them started splitting like a pothole when I was walking through a wet field in them. After a 1/2 mile through that and back, there was literally no sole left, it was in 50 small chunks. I'll no longer buy any Wolverine product and no "cushion sole" type shoe made in China either. A waste of money. - Paul

 

[mshell56118]

Here is another PASS for me, the LED light. These sometimes go on sale at $18 or less. Very good rechargeable or corded light, great for under the hood:



http://www.sears.com/craftsman-cord...p-03473904000P?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3



- Paul

I would call these a major fail. I am a field tech and have went through 3 lights in under 1.5 yrs. the problem is the switch quits working after much research found that I was not the only one having problems. It seems the switch is not designed to be exposed to cold temps below 32 for extended times which of course it is staying in the box of a service truck in northern Indiana during winter


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[pauls_workshop]

I would call these a major fail. I am a field tech and have went through 3 lights in under 1.5 yrs. the problem is the switch quits working after much research found that I was not the only one having problems. It seems the switch is not designed to be exposed to cold temps below 32 for extended times which of course it is staying in the box of a service truck in northern Indiana during winter


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Sorry to hear that. I've not had any troubles with mine over 2 years but I also haven't had it cold like that. Odd that the switch would be sensitive to that - don't understand that one and first I've heard of problems with these. - Paul

 

[Super Sport]

Unlike HF, the Sears.com reviews are not edited or faked. If you find a product at Sears, read the reviews! A thread like this really isn't needed because of that, and I'm sure it will only go (further) downhill fast!

 

[tweedlestan]

Can the troll comments be deleted? PLEASE?

 

[pauls_workshop]

Super, the GJ members views are what I care about, not so much general population reviews. I find a lot of bad reviews out there, not meaning negative reviews but positive reviews that are fluff or negative that are negative for misinformed reasons. GJ people are top notch. Let's capture the knowledge and experience we all have here together, which is considerable. If it ends up being mostly negative reviews here, then so be it. Sears hopefully will take a look see and find out what people really think of things. I think it will end up more balanced than that, as not all products are bad, even now. Some are still good. I'd like to find those out, as I think others would too. - Paul

 

[90zcar]

I would call these a major fail. I am a field tech and have went through 3 lights in under 1.5 yrs. the problem is the switch quits working after much research found that I was not the only one having problems. It seems the switch is not designed to be exposed to cold temps below 32 for extended times which of course it is staying in the box of a service truck in northern Indiana during winter


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I'll second this one as a fail. I bought mine for 17.99 on thanksgiving and while I haven't had switch issues......I do have major issues with the piss poor amount of light it gives off. Lights up an area under the hood like ****


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[Tarheelgarage]

The hot Asian girl with the big ******* working in hardware...PASS

 

[dankicksass]

CM 1/8 pocket screwdriver: PASS. It's the only screwdriver I have that can remove one-way screws that Toyota uses in a common window switch repair. My Snap-On pocket screwdrivers just slip out.

CM Cobalt drill bits: FAIL. These are made in China and very brittle. Not nearly as good as Ridgid (also China) I've been replacing them with out of convenience.

CM midget wrenches: DRAW. They're not really well finished, very ugly, but they're well fitted and if you need em, you need em. These have gotten me out of jams more times than I can remember in low clearance and blind work like inside dashboards. That sku isn't carried in stores but they usually stock bags of standard and metric in combo and open/angle. If I lost my set, I'd get the open/angle. This isn't a tool that needs to be pretty but I can't give it a firm pass because it's not finished to a standard that I find consistent with brand image.

That's all the Craftsman tools Sears.com says I've bought in the last five years that aren't discontinued. Three tools. I also like...

CM Pro pry bars: PASS. These are made by Mayhew and of excellent quality. The pry bar is made and assembled in the USA but IIRC the handle grip is imported. The 5pc set was a much better value though. The same set from Mayhew is the same price at Home Depot. Probably best to get them at HD, never know what Craftsman is going to discontinue.

 

[oldtools]

Someone going to start a Snap On fail/pass thread?

 

[shopboy13]

Someone going to start a Snap On fail/pass thread?

You!


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[pauls_workshop]

I don't know if Snap On needs a pass/fail thread, although some have not liked every single product they sell and many pick their favorites.

I have noticed the last few days much increased activity over at the HF pass/fail thread. I think they are getting nervous over there at this increased pass/fail competition that Sears is now presenting in this new thread. As we can all tell from the start here so far, Sears today is not too different from Harbor Freight except it does have *some* US made or otherwise higher quality products still available, whereas HF I don't think has any US made (but does have some very nice quality products as well, on a similar selective basis). - Paul

 

[NC-Shaun]

The ONLY tools I have in my tool box are Craftsman USA and HF Pittsburgh Pro.

I have the Craftsman USA Open/Box end wrenches and they have been great. Huge Pass

I recently bought the Craftsman LED telescoping inspection mirror and so far I am happy. It is Made in USA-Pass

I have the Craftsman USA Flare Nut wrenches and they are OK....Barely Pass

 

[dankicksass]

I have the Craftsman USA Flare Nut wrenches and they are OK....Barely Pass

Those are widely regarded as not good. The old SK-made CM Pro were good, but discontinued ages ago.