Sears Rant, again

[gatewaysysop]

You guys.
Still in love with the first wife.

When it comes to Sears, I think Steve Martin's wisdom from "L.A. Story" applies: "Why is it that we don't always recognize the moment when love begins but we always know when it ends?"

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Went to sears today, I noticed that pretty much all of the empire made craftsman stuff and empire stuff in general was gone. Might be changing coo or manufacturer? Also saw that the have a new mach bit handle, a weird indexing wobble head ratchet. But they did get in those gimbal ratchets, they look really really nice, coo taiwan, would bet on them being the same as the gearwrench ones. They come in a 2 piece set, both 1/4 gimbal/ 3/8 gimbal and a 1/4 bit socket for $29.99, if sears sends me some points I will go buy them. Also saw a pliers wrench for $40 and change, tempting but I don't want to spring for it.

 

[Fugio]

I must assume that their website was made in China.

What the hell is a "pliers wrench?" A special tool for disassembling my pliers?

 

[Cato]

You guys.
Still in love with the first wife.

LOL!

It's all about Bob Villa's **** beard!

 

[rob1200]

What the hell is a "pliers wrench?" A special tool for disassembling my pliers?

Look up Knipex plierswrench (yep, all one word... they are German).

Some people find their first plierswrench to be a revelation. Lots of positive/glowing reviews on Garage Journal and elsewhere.

 

[LB-1911]

I must assume that their website was made in China.

What the hell is a "pliers wrench?" A special tool for disassembling my pliers?

Pliers Wrench = pliers and a wrench in a single tool



KNIPEX Pliers Wrench

&
Pliers Wrenches
http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&page=group_detail&groupID=1500

 

[sberry]

I looked in Sears at Kmart yesterday, less tool stock, another shot to the foot. Mostly junk, low on singles and even saw a 3 pc lug socket set that they must have scored from HF and re packaged for 49.95. Could have bought 3 good singles from Lowes for 1/2 the price.
Their only salvation is sets at a price that will put them under.

 

[valentine]

I think what it really comes down to is that the average consumer, today, doesn't feel the need to purchase products which last a lifetime or even a decade. I remember when I was a young homeowner I did almost 100% of the maintenance/repair work on my house. My wife would let me buy any tools I needed for a given job. My tool set grew and I got better with my skills. Today, almost no one in my neighborhood does their own work, except me. If something breaks, they throw it out and buy new. Do you remember when washers, dryers, refrigerators were classified as "durable goods?" I just replaced the "bake element" in my electric stove. New parts cost me $50. Repair Service wanted $350 for the same job and an entirely new stove would have been about $500. I think most people would have just shrugged and bought the new stove. We now live in a service oriented society; We pay others to do things for us that we should be doing for ourselves. I remember when every homeowner had a work bench and tools. Today, not so. I bet not many of us have good old fashioned hardware stores nearby. But I'll also bet that you do have a nail salon and a tanning salon and a video game store and a Chinese take out joint nearby. I'll also guess there's a 24 hour CVS or Walgreens so you can go there in the middle of the night when you need more Prozac or your six year old ADHD kid needs a refill on his meds. I have a neighbor who's house is falling down around him because he doesn't maintain it. There are holes in his roof that raccoons and squirrels live in. 20 years ago he told me he was embarrassed at the way his house looked. 20 years, and he hasn't done anything to it since then. Imagine what it looks like now. Point is that we are all waiting for someone else to make our lives better. Do you really thinks Sears selling China made **** made our world the miserable place that it's become? We need to stop wishing for the things we don't have and learn to be satisfied with what we do have. If we can all do that, the world really will be a better place. Sorry to turn this into my personal rant. I've had a pretty full plate, lately, and I'm physically tired. I need to go fishing and decompress. Happy 4th of July everyone.

-Valentine

 

[bobbycos]

Sears did me a solid when they messed up my Internet order and I wound up with the 10 piece bolt out for free

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Considering how god awful their website is, I am surprised that people actually expect the info to be accurate. It sears after all.

Oh ya
the fantastic Sear's weehole... about three years ago, I pissed an afternoon away in an attempt to order two impact socket sets shipped to the store of my choice. The website continually placed delivery to a different location. An e-mail to customer-unservice went unanswered...

I "lucked out" on a later order for a pair of grinders that went through without a glitch, but I bought my sockets elsewhere.

 

[6MocoA]

Got an email for $5 free SYWR points. I had been holding off for a 21mm combination wrench to supplement my old USA made raised panel combos. Bought online and went to pick up expecting a "D-AC" wrench. Imagine my surprise when I looked down and saw "Forged in the USA" on the wrench!

Still, Sears is what it is. Craftsman tools are no longer high quality, if you have the time, you can always find a better product for cheaper online. Like others have said, I only shop Sears when I get free points or amazing deals.

 

[kythri]

Sears kicked my puppy and ran off with my daughter.

 

[sberry]

I think what it really comes down to is that the average consumer, today, doesn't feel the need to purchase products which last a lifetime or even a decade.

The reality is a lot of it lasts more than a decade, sometimes its all that's needed and the super low cost makes it possible today.
Most of the Sears wrenches ever made are still in satisfactory service and lasted way beyond what we had imagined.
I started my career with it never thinking or considering the long term but got what I needed when I needed it for 10 cents on the dollar to the alternative and as a bonus the math is a bit better today, well a lot better but that's usually irrelevant compared to how someone feels about it.
Its disposable. Don't have to insure it. Don't have to finance or displace financed money to own something outright that might be in service 30 yrs from now too. Especially if ones demand falls off at some point. No pressure to liquidate, the list goes on as to why Sears can be a good deal but it doesn't do squat for Sears bottom line.

 

[sberry]

It boils down to they decided to compete on price vs trying to hold the brand they had. Others were sleeker and faster and in some cases more specialized like HF. Prices are low, there is no room to out compete HF and Walmart in that game.

 

[sberry]

Sure as sheet a Snap is a better wrench and cost more to make but that isn't what drives the sale price. You got to wonder how or who they had do the math,, How many more did they figure they could sell if they shaved the margins to zilch? Generally people only buy what they need, did they expext shaving a few $ of the set was going to flock grandmothers from everywhere to shore up on hard line tools?

 

[sberry]

One of the farm stores does that, has the junk welding equipment. They should leave that to Walmart. They do have a couple pieces in Farmhand air tools that are good but they should exclusively be Hobart.
Sears boogered themselves selling other brands beside their own. Now they got to lowball price on the same shelf.

 

[66354dream]

I'm going to ask how many here are on unemployment or know someone on unemployment, and why you don't take a $10 an hour job?

I'm guessing that's what silly stupid work of packing a socket in a blow mold box pays.
Maybe our unemployment benefits and extensions are one of the reasons you don't have a choice of coo anymore.....

That is EXACTLY my theory as to why companies are going over seas

 

[mmack66]

That is EXACTLY my theory as to why companies are going over seas

It is? Unemployment?

 

[kythri]

It is? Unemployment?

Not unemployment specifically - but unemployed workers refusing to take a job they deem beneath them - either due to thinking that Whopper-flopping is worth $15/hr or that they're better than people who pack a box.

If a business can't get domestic labor, then they look overseas.

And when the government reinforces that mentality by paying increasingly extended unemployment benefits, that money has to come from somewhere - and when there's less money to go around for the end-consumer, those consumers buy more cheap imports. When the business has less money to spend on domestic production, they look overseas to meet those requirements.

 

[thecody59]

Well tried again they transferred me to a supervisor through chat he offered less at 5% refund back wow. I am contacting the company that suppose to still make the flex head sockets for them Danaher and see what they say.

 

[CJM8515]

Just my 2 cents: sears's big issue is they basically have NOTHING in the store anymore. As a kid they were like walmart, they had nearly everything. As time went on some ***** in upper management must have decided they should focus on basic housewares, electronics, appliances, tools, lawn equipment, bedding and clothes. The local sears stocks practically nothing, about the only leg up they have on walmart is the tools and the lawn stuff and home depot carries better goods. Sears power tools are an absolute joke and have been for eons. The mechanics tools the quality gets worse and worse as time wears on, the lawn stuff is equally bad.

It seems they decided to decrease costs and prices by selling lesser quality goods. They have way more competition these days as well: home depot, lowes, walmart, target, ace, etc. The biggest flop is they keep coming out with these gimmick tools. Im not sure who buys them but I literally know and have personally seen very few in the possesion of homeowners or mechanics.

Sears lost out to the market and is a dinosaur in terms of sales and products. They didnt adapt to the times and now they are gonna go out sooner than later.

Walmart REALLY killed them, they are what sears should be today. But then again all of these retailers it seems are losing. JC Penny never adapted and barely hold on, these mall type retailers just cant cut it when there is more competition than you can shake a stick at. I honestly havent shopped in any of these places in years, I go to walmart mostly. Yea Im feeding the evil walmart corp my money but wtf...its not my fault they have things I want and the others dont. Same with ACE vs home depot and lowes, my local ace and other local hardware stores cant compare. I liked (regional chain) 84 lumber but they couldnt beat home depot and the local stores to me closed.

Im still in shock you guys keep rooting for and buying from sears when ebay, is right there and you can get the same if not better stuff for a lower or the same price. Letit go already, the stuff is cheap and chinese made and its not gonna change.

 

[mmack66]

Not unemployment specifically - but unemployed workers refusing to take a job they deem beneath them - either due to thinking that Whopper-flopping is worth $15/hr or that they're better than people who pack a box.

If a business can't get domestic labor, then they look overseas.

And when the government reinforces that mentality by paying increasingly extended unemployment benefits, that money has to come from somewhere - and when there's less money to go around for the end-consumer, those consumers buy more cheap imports. When the business has less money to spend on domestic production, they look overseas to meet those requirements.

I suspect that the opposite is more likely the case. I doubt there are many $10/hr socket into blowmolded case jobs sitting vacant.

Besides, I thought the GJ mantra is that burger flipping jobs are for teenagers and lowlifes?

 

[Forsythe04]

Bought my first home recently and with surprise points/points earned on purchases/coupons I cant knock Sears for getting fantastic deals on appliances/tools. I have done a ton of business with them and have been through almost every division they have...heres what I have learned..

In store shopping is great. I however make sure I apply all of my online coupons via my iphone and show them what should be applied to make sure price in store aligns with online (learned to avoid online purchases)

Sears Credit Card - based in Kentucky If I remember correctly. Great Service

Sears Shop Your Way rewards - Fantastic service, based in US somewhere.

Sears online.. WORST EVER. AVOID AVOID. I only purchase if its an impulse buy that shows many in stock.

Sears Delivery - Just as Horrible.

Sears online customer service and delivery service can hardly speak a bit of English let alone understand a problem. Its literally a waste of time.

 

['sallgood]

Not unemployment specifically - but unemployed workers refusing to take a job they deem beneath them - either due to thinking that Whopper-flopping is worth $15/hr or that they're better than people who pack a box.

If a business can't get domestic labor, then they look overseas.

And when the government reinforces that mentality by paying increasingly extended unemployment benefits, that money has to come from somewhere - and when there's less money to go around for the end-consumer, those consumers buy more cheap imports. When the business has less money to spend on domestic production, they look overseas to meet those requirements.

 

[Outlander]

I am constantly amazed by the Sears bashing here. Countless threads with reasons why not to shop there, then countless threads about trying again.

In fact, I tried to patch things up with my first wife to no avail. We both moved on. I'm happier with my second wife than I ever was with my first. Can't the haters find an alternative tool source?

For full disclosure, Dad left me some Craftsman stuff. It is not my favorite, so lack of fan boy status could account for my lack of desire to go to marriage counselling.

 

[kythri]

All the more reason to stop extending unemployment benefits. There ARE jobs out there.

 

[zx2slow]

Political discussion seems about as informed as expected here on GJ.

 

[valentine]

Hey, I know that the world is changing. It's always been that way and will always be that way. Some of us, myself included, just don't like all the changes. Sears continuing to devolve is one change I don't like. I just wish I could walk into a Sears tool section from the 1970's or 1980's today. Kind of like remembering a favorite Christmas you once had. Don't you wish you could do that again? Nothing wrong with dreaming and wishing. It gets me through every day.

-Valentine

 

[Mechanical Noise]

I just wish I could walk into a Sears tool section from the 1970's or 1980's today. Kind of like remembering a favorite Christmas you once had. Don't you wish you could do that again?

-Valentine

I wouldn't bother going back if I just had what money I had in 1980. The dollar cost of tools isn't all that higher now than it was back then but average pay is probably something like 4X what it was.

I'll admit that I bought the bulk of the hardline tools I still use back then. The Craftsman tools were still a good value for the money at the time, but they weren't perfect.

Inflation adjusted, I'm sure the current tools from SK, Wright or Proto are a better deal than 1980 Craftsman.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Had this discussion at work today. Hispanics generally work hard (racist generalization, I know, but it's my experience ), and don't require crazy wages like most of my fellow young americans.

Illegal immigrants make for even cheaper wages.



Everybody wants $20 an hour for staring at their phone. That's the issue with my coworkers. I produced over 80% of the total billable dollars in my shop this week, and last week. Most of the time I'm closer to 75%. Then they ask me how I can live making such "******" wages. Well, I'm not making them! I'm working hard and dumping money into tools and equipment.

 

[Sanny81]

Sears keeping giving me $10 in points off any purchase over $10 as well as $5 in points off anything over $5 so I've been getting stuff for pennies. Love Sears!

 

[franzdom]

Yawn.