USA Made Craftsman - What's left?

[zakmartin]

The wood chisels and the bottle openers are made in USA.

The craftsman bottle opener I saw last weekend was made in china.

 

[340wedge]

Reading this is depressing. I've always been a craftman fan and started buying all my tools in the 1980's when I was in High School, i'm glad I still have them all.

 

[hamma]

The craftsman bottle opener I saw last weekend was made in china.

That's pretty sad, I picked up both of these within the last year. The only reason I went out of my way to get them was because they were made in USA. I really have no reason to bother with Sears anymore.

 

[ganymede]

As of a month ago the Craftsman sockets at my local Ace Hardware were domestic made.

 

[Conductor562]

I want to say that I'm impressed you think like this and are teaching your child. I was taught this as well from my father, and it PO's me to no end when I see other people not doing right by someone if they loose or break a tool. I applaud your integrity sir

Thanks for the kind words Mrjaw. Too many people in this world teaching their kids to be whiners and not enough teaching their boys how to be a man IMO.

 

[Farmall450]

If that is the case, then it will only be the one warranty exchange and then you are on your own dealing directly with Vaughn. If it is like the tape measures, then Sears must be warrantying more hammers in a given time frame than they are selling and hence dropping Craftsman line.

I know in my local Sears store, the small tack hammers have gone over from Craftsman to a no name import one.

Sears isn't the brightest...

Reading this is depressing. I've always been a craftman fan and started buying all my tools in the 1980's when I was in High School, i'm glad I still have them all.

I'm there now, glad I was old enough to put some money into them before they all went to china. I think I'll cry when I see a non WF adjustable wrench!

As of a month ago the Craftsman sockets at my local Ace Hardware were domestic made.

This reminds me to look at my ace, they don't move stock at all.

 

[humanbeingexpert]

sears would be smart if they made everything in the USA again, I wont buy anything from China but will pay extra for USA made, anyone else?

 

[woody 73]

sears would be smart if they made everything in the USA again, I wont buy anything from China but will pay extra for USA made, anyone else?

Go read post #29 again...

 

[humanbeingexpert]

Well, you get what you pay for and how about the economic toil on our economy due to everyone wanting the lowest possible price? we are selling our country and future for dispolsible tools, i wont be part of it.

 

[e_d]

Pretty soon they will have to be re-branded chinaman tools.

 

[3rdbuttondown]

Sears = Real estate and Brand names

They are a 1950's ranch in a McMansion neighborhood (teardown). Most of the mall stores are so outdated/dilapidated, it makes more sense to tear them down than fix them up.

Craftsman, Lands End, Diehard, Arnold Palmer suits - those brand names are where the money is at...

The Craftsman warranty is like a UAW pension - it brings the company down.

You bring in a broken Craftsman hammer, they give you a Vaughan - no more liability.

I expect there will come a time in my lifetime when I'll no longer be able to walk into a Sears store.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Sears = Real estate and Brand names

They are a 1950's ranch in a McMansion neighborhood (teardown). Most of the mall stores are so outdated/dilapidated, it makes more sense to tear them down than fix them up.

Craftsman, Lands End, Diehard, Arnold Palmer suits - those brand names are where the money is at...

The Craftsman warranty is like a UAW pension - it brings the company down.

You bring in a broken Craftsman hammer, they give you a Vaughan - no more liability.

I expect there will come a time in my lifetime when I'll no longer be able to walk into a Sears store.

Well stated.

A property near me (built in the 40s I believe) was just split into multiple lots.

 

[MrMark]

If that is the case, then it will only be the one warranty exchange and then you are on your own dealing directly with Vaughn. If it is like the tape measures, then Sears must be warrantying more hammers in a given time frame than they are selling and hence dropping Craftsman line.

I know in my local Sears store, the small tack hammers have gone over from Craftsman to a no name import one.

This is true. I exchanged my old CMan framing hammer for a vaugn and they said I was done.

 

[metaldad]

how much of the c-man off shoring is due to apex moving to asia, to increase apex profits, and not sears?
and, how much of apex's offshoring is due to an over restrictive epa?
either way, i have to support USA bizness to keep Americans working.

 

[jjjrmx5]

how much of the c-man off shoring is due to apex moving to asia, to increase apex profits, and not sears?
and, how much of apex's offshoring is due to an over restrictive epa?

It's not like Apex is the last tool maker left in the world or all tool makers are located in Asia.

There are still many USA located tool mfgrs and there would be many more if , as stated above, companies would balance other items other than just the bottom line.

But in today's world, the bottom line, profits and stock prices drive the company instead of understanding the market and who your customer base is and the competition. And growing your customer base.

As the C'man brand continues to be diluted and customers realize that they can by less expensive equal quality tools elsewhere , especially with Sears shedding many of its warranty culpable items, the customers will shop elsewhere. Rinse and repeat.

Reminds me of pizza places that continue to cheapen the quality of their ingredients in an effort to keep prices the same and keep profit high, but the quality level goes down to a point that better pizza can be found at a similar price elsewhere or just buy frozen pizza and get an equal ****** product for far less cost. Businesses like that don't stick around. They can't.

The Vaughn hammer trend had me thinking of that all last night.
Discontinue selling C'man tools that have high return rates and move to vendor names instead and let them deal with teh customer after sale and move overseas those items you want to keep C'man and warranty but for far less cost.

Good for the bottom line. Bad for the consumer.

It's a slippery slope.

 

[DMAR]

It's not like Apex is the last tool maker left in the world or all tool makers are located in Asia.

There are still many USA located tool mfgrs and there would be many more if , as stated above, companies would balance other items other than just the bottom line.

But in today's world, the bottom line, profits and stock prices drive the company instead of understanding the market and who your customer base is and the competition. And growing your customer base.

As the C'man brand continues to be diluted and customers realize that they can by less expensive equal quality tools elsewhere , especially with Sears shedding many of its warranty culpable items, the customers will shop elsewhere. Rinse and repeat.

Reminds me of pizza places that continue to cheapen the quality of their ingredients in an effort to keep prices the same and keep profit high, but the quality level goes down to a point that better pizza can be found at a similar price elsewhere or just buy frozen pizza and get an equal ****** product for far less cost. Businesses like that don't stick around. They can't.

The Vaughn hammer trend had me thinking of that all last night.
Discontinue selling C'man tools that have high return rates and move to vendor names instead and let them deal with teh customer after sale and move overseas those items you want to keep C'man and warranty but for far less cost.

Good for the bottom line. Bad for the consumer.

It's a slippery slope.

Well said!

 

[bcradio]

sears would be smart if they made everything in the USA again, I wont buy anything from China but will pay extra for USA made, anyone else?

I hope you are only talking about tools here... otherwise your house probably looks like something straight out of the 1970s.

 

[340wedge]

"The Craftsman warranty is like a UAW pension - it brings the company down."

that's true, I knew a guy so cheap, he bought a trolling motor for fishing from Sears, used it the whole season, cleaned it up at the end of the season and brought it back, full refund..True story.

 

[jjjrmx5]

BTW, I do have to warranty 2 C'amn hammers today so I am curious of the outcome.

A dual soft face hammer I bought back in the 90's with teh red and yellow tips and the yellow tip has split to the point I am afraid of injuring myself or a co-worker.

I have not seen the 2 tip set in any of my area stores or I would be happy to buy them.

The other is a No2 rubber mallet bought back in 2006 where the head is twisting on the handle and getting loose. Again a safety issue.

Neither have ever been abused and with over 30 hammers at my disposal lol I do have the right one for the job.

The two faced hammer I;d love to keep and just get new tips. We'll see if they can order me in a set.

 

[Hencini]

"The Craftsman warranty is like a UAW pension - it brings the company down."

that's true, I knew a guy so cheap, he bought a trolling motor for fishing from Sears, used it the whole season, cleaned it up at the end of the season and brought it back, full refund..True story.

Target used to have a similarly generous return policy. Guys in college would buy TVs, stereos, whatever in September, keep the box and receipt and return it in spring.

 

[ganymede]

I hope you are only talking about tools here... otherwise your house probably looks like something straight out of the 1970s.

Nothing wrong with that.
Greatest decade ever.

 

[Fordman7795]

"The Craftsman warranty is like a UAW pension - it brings the company down."

that's true, I knew a guy so cheap, he bought a trolling motor for fishing from Sears, used it the whole season, cleaned it up at the end of the season and brought it back, full refund..True story.

Check out the clearance lawn mowers all over sears right now. All the push mowers are used. Someone bought it in the spring, used it all summer and returned it in the fall. Next month they will buy a snowblower and then return it in the spring and rebuy a lawnmower again.