Tonight's Finds at Sears

[gdocktor3]

My girlfriend dragged me to the mall this evening and while she was doing her thing in Macy's, I went and looked around Sears. I started looking around for USA made stuff and found some rare items for this day in age. Combination wrenches, open end wrenches, pipe wrench, nut drivers and 6 point ratchet wrenches. The thing that surprised me was the USA made professional series wrench I found. The interesting thing was the USA stuff was mixed right in with the Taiwan stuff. If you didn't look, you'd never know. Just thought I'd share.

 

[Wes J]

Lots of Craftsman tools are still USA made. Punches, hammers, pliers, pry bars, adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers, scrapers, lots of specialty tools (picks, mirrors, snap ring pliers, etc), and even some of the toolboxes.

Who knows how long it will last.

People might not remember, but back in the 80s Craftsman moved lots of their tool production to Taiwan and Japan. Then it came back. I can only hope that it will do the same again.

 

[Jim Diesel]

Never hurts to conduct a closer inspection, some times you might be suprised. Im constantly discovering tools still made localy which i thought had gone overseas.

 

[Soslow]

I've had those nut drivers for years and they're still my favorite

 

[derosa]

Local ace hardware has a few sets of craftsman sockets still usa made, there were two 196 piece sets with a third from china, a 106 piece set with two more like it from china, a 3 or 4 drawer plastic box set not certain how many pieces and even a couple strips of 3/8 metric sockets. They have other sets I didn't look through to see what is US made. Been thinking of splurging on the two sets for my two sons, way too young for them now but something for later.

 

[ADSR]

There's a village in China named USA.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

my girlfriend dragged me to the mall this evening and while she was doing her thing in macy's, i went and looked around sears. I started looking around for usa made stuff found some rare items for this day AND age. Combination wrenches, open end wrenches, pipe wrench, nut drivers and 6 point ratchet wrenches. The thing that surprised me was the usa made professional series wrench i found. The interesting thing was the usa stuff was mixed right in with the taiwan stuff. If you didn't look, you'd never know. Just thought i'd share.

there, fixed it for you!

 

[drink]

Nice find! Are the new nut driver sets made offshore now?

 

[Chris_L]

The pipe wrench surprises me. Are those made by WF like their crescents? I'm gonna have to go check mine.

 

[anndel]

I went today and was severely disappointed. Not one sales person said hello or asked if I needed help. I looked at all the sockets, impact sockets, wrenches, ratchets and they were all made in china. Only a few made in USA Western Forge screwdrivers were on the rack but behind them were china made screwdrivers. Sears was packed and people were out buying clothes and tools except me. I went home and bought a Williams USA-made impact socket set from Amazon.com. Even all their pipe wrenches were made in china. The same one I have which is US made was made in china on the shelf at Sears.

 

[gdocktor3]

Local ace hardware has a few sets of craftsman sockets still usa made, there were two 196 piece sets with a third from china, a 106 piece set with two more like it from china, a 3 or 4 drawer plastic box set not certain how many pieces and even a couple strips of 3/8 metric sockets. They have other sets I didn't look through to see what is US made. Been thinking of splurging on the two sets for my two sons, way too young for them now but something for later.

Shoot, buy them up and sell them on here to the guys who enjoy collecting that stuff. Or do the noble thing and jack the price up 3x and sell them on ebay.

there, fixed it for you!

Haha thanks! I wasn't sure lol. Day in age kind of makes sense too though.

I went today and was severely disappointed. Not one sales person said hello or asked if I needed help. I looked at all the sockets, impact sockets, wrenches, ratchets and they were all made in china. Only a few made in USA Western Forge screwdrivers were on the rack but behind them were china made screwdrivers. Sears was packed and people were out buying clothes and tools except me. I went home and bought a Williams USA-made impact socket set from Amazon.com. Even all their pipe wrenches were made in china. The same one I have which is US made was made in china on the shelf at Sears.

There are two Sears in my area. One Sear's appliance store with appliances, tools and lawn equipment, and the one in the mall with clothes, luggage, all the kitchen stuff, etc. Now, one would expect the stand alone store would carry more USA stuff, but quite wrong. The one in the mall had all that stuff. Even more impressive, the stand alone store is in the valley suburbs here in CT while the mall is up in a large city filled with ghettos, drug dealers and crime (no joke) and the staff up there of younger people are more intelligent and polite than the older white folk working down in the valley. Not only did they ask if I needed help, but when I found an 18v battery charger on clearance for $5, I asked the young man at the counter if it would charge 19.2. He checked out the label, not the computer, and told me no because it would not put out enough power to charge the larger 19.2 batteries. Naturally I walked back over to put it back and checked on my phone, but he was correct. The worst experience was hearing my girlfriend calling my name when she came to get me.

 

[gdocktor3]

Lots of Craftsman tools are still USA made. Punches, hammers, pliers, pry bars, adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers, scrapers, lots of specialty tools (picks, mirrors, snap ring pliers, etc), and even some of the toolboxes.
.

Oh believe you and me, I know which tools are still made in the USA. I own them all. Those same tools are sold by Matco, SK, Armstrong and some others. I say all the time, they're the best bang for your buck.

 

[anndel]

Shoot, buy them up and sell them on here to the guys who enjoy collecting that stuff. Or do the noble thing and jack the price up 3x and sell them on ebay.



Haha thanks! I wasn't sure lol. Day in age kind of makes sense too though.



There are two Sears in my area. One Sear's appliance store with appliances, tools and lawn equipment, and the one in the mall with clothes, luggage, all the kitchen stuff, etc. Now, one would expect the stand alone store would carry more USA stuff, but quite wrong. The one in the mall had all that stuff. Even more impressive, the stand alone store is in the valley suburbs here in CT while the mall is up in a large city filled with ghettos, drug dealers and crime (no joke) and the staff up there of younger people are more intelligent and polite than the older white folk working down in the valley. Not only did they ask if I needed help, but when I found an 18v battery charger on clearance for $5, I asked the young man at the counter if it would charge 19.2. He checked out the label, not the computer, and told me no because it would not put out enough power to charge the larger 19.2 batteries. Naturally I walked back over to put it back and checked on my phone, but he was correct. The worst experience was hearing my girlfriend calling my name when she came to get me.

All of our Sears stores here in Hawaii are in malls, no stand alones. Sears got kicked out of the oldest at the Ala Moana Shopping Center a few years ago to make way for Bloomingdales.