IMHO, Sears went the exact wrong direction with the Craftsman product line. Craftsman used to be known for quality tools at a reasonable price, often time handed down from one generation to the next. Maybe not the quality level needed for an auto mechanic using them all day every day, but excellent quality for the guy working on his car on the weekends. Too many Craftsman branded tools are now low priced, low quality junk. There are exceptions, but by now it's too difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. 20 years ago they should have went with higher quality, higher priced tools and catered to the professional. Joe homeowner no longer values a quality tool, so the market Craftsman tools were aimed at has disappeared.
If Sears Dropped Craftsman and went pro, that might work. I'd love to be able to walk into a brick and mortar store and compare, in person, for example two cord reels One made by Coxreels and the other by Reelcraft. Sure I can order these online, but I want to see them in person, a picture on a web site just doesn't do it for me sometimes.
However, large corporations can't change, they can't innovate, and they can't make fast changes in short periods of time. I fear that rushing water sound I'm hearing is Crapsman being flushed down the toilet.
Brian
