Why are Craftsman tools being crticized so much?

[BMcC]

One of major reasons for failure for sears is their lack of investment. To begin with, a very large number of their stores are in poor neighborhoods that are some 40 years past their prosperous prime.. Secondly, they're in terrible shape - just look at how yellowed their cash registers look, hanging ceilings have tiles with stains from leaking roofs, some merchandise having a thick layer of dust too. I read that they spend about $2 per sq. foot on maintenance per year, compared with $8-10/sq. foot at Walmart and Target.

That's definitely part of their problem too. Most of the actual Sears stores that I can think of are anchored to shopping malls that are struggling too.

 

[Armed Bear]

Not with their prices on tools. In the real world market that sears compete in. The Armstrong and SK are way to expensive.

Why not carry big box brands like Kobalt & Husky and then have a special section for SK or Williams on the side. It would be much better to have an option between both. If they carry USA Made Channellocks and Estwings right next to the box brand ****, why not do the same thing with SK, Armstrong and Williams etc.

I was at HD a few days ago and opened up one of their big 250 piece tool sets and the ratchets were absolutely pure ****, pitiful ****. I was amazed.

 

[matt1977]

Why not carry big box brands like Kobalt & Husky and then have a special section for SK or Williams on the side. It would be much better to have an option between both. If they carry USA Made Channellocks and Estwings right next to the box brand ****, why not do the same thing with SK, Armstrong and Williams etc.

I agree, appeal to the diy'er as well as the professional. Hell I would be ecstatic if Canadian tire started carrying gray again.

 

[shoturtle]

Why not carry big box brands like Kobalt & Husky and then have a special section for SK or Williams on the side. It would be much better to have an option between both. If they carry USA Made Channellocks and Estwings right next to the box brand ****, why not do the same thing with SK, Armstrong and Williams etc.

I was at HD a few days ago and opened up one of their big 250 piece tool sets and the ratchets were absolutely pure ****, pitiful ****. I was amazed.

Because the estwing and channellocks are not that much more then the HD version. Within 5 dollars. The ratchet alone would be 3x as much and a full socket set that match the size of the HD or lowes ones would be 400+ dollars. And they would not be able to sell them. And with big box all it does is eats up floor and storage space.

The reality of the Big Box, and Sears and HF. Are that they carry low price tools for their market segment. And high dollars tools just would not work in their business model.

Just look how many craftsman premium ratchets or slim profile ratchet sears sell compare to the RP or evol.

 

[PatJ800]

I don't have anything to add, just repeating some stuff others have said.

I have a lot of Craftsman hand and power tools, alot. Most of it is from the 60's and 70's, but I have bought a lot from them in the last 15 years also. Like others have said, if I wanted cheap (Chinese, etc.) tools I would shop lowest price. I don't generally shop price for tools. This isn't necessarily about made in USA, but it is about quality in general.

Die Hard batteries are no longer the high-end Johnson Controls batteries they were for decades. Kenmore appliances are now so low quality that Whirlpool no longer has Whirlpool branded equivalents even though they are all made by Whirlpool. (Google Kenmore smooth top electric range fires that Sears refuses to recall.) Kenmore and Die-Hard used to be high-end brands known for quality, and now they are junk made by the lowest bidder.

It isn't just Craftsman, Sears in general is on its way out. Sears leadership is coasting along on the good names made by their predecessors. This can only last for the couple of years it will take before their reputation is ruined to all general public.

Sears can not ever compete with Harbor Freight, Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc. They are wasting their time trying. They had their niche that kept them afloat forever and they should have stuck with it.
It will be sad to see Sears go, but it will probably happen soon. Even the Sheeple of the general population will not fall for this recent Die-Hard/Kenmore/Craftsman scheme for long. Hopefully when they do fail and are liquidated, some serious distributors will purchase the names and go back to quality. In the meantime, Sears made the bed...

 

[matt1977]

I don't have anything to add, just repeating some stuff others have said.

I have a lot of Craftsman hand and power tools, alot. Most of it is from the 60's and 70's, but I have bought a lot from them in the last 15 years also. Like others have said, if I wanted cheap (Chinese, etc.) tools I would shop lowest price. I don't generally shop price for tools. This isn't necessarily about made in USA, but it is about quality in general.

Die Hard batteries are no longer the high-end Johnson Controls batteries they were for decades. Kenmore appliances are now so low quality that Whirlpool no longer has Whirlpool branded equivalents even though they are all made by Whirlpool. (Google Kenmore smooth top electric range fires that Sears refuses to recall.) Kenmore and Die-Hard used to be high-end brands known for quality, and now they are junk made by the lowest bidder.

It isn't just Craftsman, Sears in general is on its way out. Sears leadership is coasting along on the good names made by their predecessors. This can only last for the couple of years it will take before their reputation is ruined to all general public.

Sears can not ever compete with Harbor Freight, Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc. They are wasting their time trying. They had their niche that kept them afloat forever and they should have stuck with it.
It will be sad to see Sears go, but it will probably happen soon. Even the Sheeple of the general population will not fall for this recent Die-Hard/Kenmore/Craftsman scheme for long. Hopefully when they do fail and are liquidated, some serious distributors will purchase the names and go back to quality. In the meantime, Sears made the bed...

well said

 

[shampoop]

Die Hard batteries are no longer the high-end Johnson Controls batteries they were for decades. Kenmore appliances are now so low quality that Whirlpool no longer has Whirlpool branded equivalents even though they are all made by Whirlpool. (Google Kenmore smooth top electric range fires that Sears refuses to recall.) Kenmore and Die-Hard used to be high-end brands known for quality, and now they are junk made by the lowest bidder.

It isn't just Craftsman, Sears in general is on its way out. Sears leadership is coasting along on the good names made by their predecessors. This can only last for the couple of years it will take before their reputation is ruined to all general public.

Sears can not ever compete with Harbor Freight, Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc. They are wasting their time trying. They had their niche that kept them afloat forever and they should have stuck with it.
It will be sad to see Sears go, but it will probably happen soon. Even the Sheeple of the general population will not fall for this recent Die-Hard/Kenmore/Craftsman scheme for long. Hopefully when they do fail and are liquidated, some serious distributors will purchase the names and go back to quality. In the meantime, Sears made the bed...

Completely agree.

 

[plinker]

The way I see it, everyone wants Sears to be the same way they were X number of years ago and I dont see it happening. The fact that most of thier tool's are either imported or lesser quality in one way or another does not help them at all, depending on the buyer.

 

[Bullitt427]

Why not carry big box brands like Kobalt & Husky and then have a special section for SK or Williams on the side. It would be much better to have an option between both. If they carry USA Made Channellocks and Estwings right next to the box brand ****, why not do the same thing with SK, Armstrong and Williams etc.

I was at HD a few days ago and opened up one of their big 250 piece tool sets and the ratchets were absolutely pure ****, pitiful ****. I was amazed.

SK has a small presence in Advance Auto Parts stores.

I think the best option for SK is actually Harbor Freight. You have the cheap foreign made stuff and then a premium USA made product.

Ace Hardware, mentioned earlier, or somethign like TSC is a neat option for SK, Williams or Armstrong, but Ace is overpriced to begin with, what does that mean for something like SK that is already selling a 1/4" ratchet for $55?

Josh

 

[netcaretaker]

Looking back when Sears almost went bust, all the big box stores wanted to buy one thing from Sears, that was craftsman. When Sears closes you can bet that Kobalt or Husky will be gone in months and everything at one of those stores will be selling craftsman tools. It almost happened the last time, the next time it will happen. Even though we don't think they are as good as they used to be, the name is still well regarded.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Looking back when Sears almost went bust, all the big box stores wanted to buy one thing from Sears, that was craftsman. When Sears closes you can bet that Kobalt or Husky will be gone in months and everything at one of those stores will be selling craftsman tools. It almost happened the last time, the next time it will happen. Even though we don't think they are as good as they used to be, the name is still well regarded.

I would bet money that would happen. But I wonder if they would just slap the craftsman logo on a cheapened tool like sears is doing now.

Chris

 

[pfarber]

I agree that the bean counters will sell out anything to make the quarterlies look good. That's the American way. Remember we don't make anything here anymore (at best we assemble it).

I still have to laugh at the 'I buy quality' or 'I buy American'. Thank the Union stooges for the lack of competitiveness. Hostess is another iconic name that just went out with a whimper due to union nonsense.

And you do know that Sears NEVER, EVER MADE a thing. SEARS is a BRAND, so is CRAFTSMAN. There is no 'Craftsman Factory'.

I'll use a finely crafted German socket, or damned pair of vice grips.... its a tool. I don't care if its wavy or not shiny.

And since when is the thicker web a bad thing? One would think that the tool is stronger but to more steel at a higher stress point.

Or does form follow function?

 

[Conductor562]

I remember the overwhelming numbers Craftsman got in the "What brands do you have the most of" or whatever it was a couple months back. It's a kick in the nuts when "Americas most trusted tools" become "Americas most trusted Chinese tools". They were budget American made tools, now they're over priced Chino specials. That's the way they'll be perceived by the tool enthusiast at least.

 

[netcaretaker]

I agree that the bean counters will sell out anything to make the quarterlies look good. That's the American way. Remember we don't make anything here anymore (at best we assemble it).

I still have to laugh at the 'I buy quality' or 'I buy American'. Thank the Union stooges for the lack of competitiveness. Hostess is another iconic name that just went out with a whimper due to union nonsense.

And you do know that Sears NEVER, EVER MADE a thing. SEARS is a BRAND, so is CRAFTSMAN. There is no 'Craftsman Factory'.

I'll use a finely crafted German socket, or damned pair of vice grips.... its a tool. I don't care if its wavy or not shiny.

And since when is the thicker web a bad thing? One would think that the tool is stronger but to more steel at a higher stress point.

Or does form follow function?

Yes, the union stooges who took a massive pay cut in 2007 and executive pay went through the roof, the CEO got over 300 percent raise, those evil unions screwed the company.

 

[Conductor562]

Yes, the union stooges who took a massive pay cut in 2007 and executive pay went through the roof, the CEO got over 300 percent raise, those evil unions screwed the company.

Don't waste your breath man. People believe whatever Hostess tells them without any regard for the facts apparently.

 

[tater]

Sears isn't going anywhere I promise you that. They have big names backing them
Kenmore
Craftsman
Lands End
etc etc
People come to my sears because they have been buying from sears for 40 years and their fathers shopped at sears back in the day its what they grew up on. Ive seen how much each district brings in Ive seen how much our store and department bring in day by day. Almost 60% of the orders are placed online nowadays I cant see those numbers but judging from my numbers I can see sears is doing pretty great. I love my craftsman and I love using it.
What sears is trying to do is transform their tools into the evolv tools ex. Basically HF stuff cheap and gets the job done
They want to keep the USA made but its going to cost the consumer a pretty penny for the usa made stuff. So they sell the cheap stuff under evolv for the people that dont want to spend any money and try to keep the USA made in stores by doing that.

Everyday I have a customer get made about something and the first words out of their mouth is " This is why sears is going under. I hope you lose your job because you dont have this item in stock" Sears isnt going anywhere

 

[BMcC]

Sears isn't going anywhere I promise you that. They have big names backing them
Kenmore
Craftsman
Lands End
etc etc
People come to my sears because they have been buying from sears for 40 years and their fathers shopped at sears back in the day its what they grew up on. Ive seen how much each district brings in Ive seen how much our store and department bring in day by day. Almost 60% of the orders are placed online nowadays I cant see those numbers but judging from my numbers I can see sears is doing pretty great. I love my craftsman and I love using it.
What sears is trying to do is transform their tools into the evolv tools ex. Basically HF stuff cheap and gets the job done
They want to keep the USA made but its going to cost the consumer a pretty penny for the usa made stuff. So they sell the cheap stuff under evolv for the people that dont want to spend any money and try to keep the USA made in stores by doing that.

Everyday I have a customer get made about something and the first words out of their mouth is " This is why sears is going under. I hope you lose your job because you dont have this item in stock" Sears isnt going anywhere

I hope Sears doesn't go anywhere, I hate seeing American staples (like Hostess) go under. I'd like to see Sears open new stores and make a comeback.

 

[Armed Bear]

They want to keep the USA made but its going to cost the consumer a pretty penny for the usa made stuff. So they sell the cheap stuff under evolv for the people that dont want to spend any money and try to keep the USA made in stores by doing that.

I'm pretty sure Craftsman doesn't make tools in the USA anymore, because I was looking at the mechanics sets at my local Sears and half of them are China-man sets.
I guess the USA mechanics sets that are left are the last batch of U.S. C-man sets.

 

[marlinspike]

Maybe because their screwdrivers have horrible tips? Or maybe because I have on more than one occasion removed a bolt with no fanfare that a friend's craftsman socket was just rounding. I also don't appreciate how they put one price on their website and a higher price in stores. I guess they're trying to run their own stores out of business? Well, that would explain why the whole store only has a few employees.

 

[Midnight_America]

I think when people criticize Craftsman Tools, what they're really doing is criticizing Sears. Their customer service and stores have declined over the years. When I was younger I'd either go to the hardware store, Sears, or electrical or plumbing supply house to get a tool. The arrival of the big box stores with their vast inventory of tools put the first nail into Sears Coffin. The arrival of the internet, giving us the ability to find and buy almost any tool on the planet, was the death blow to Sears. Sears, once considered the Worlds Largest Store, had the oppotunity to be what Amazon is today. The less than stellar management at Sears coupled with their inability for envisioning the future, finished them off. Imran Jooma is the current Sears executive assigned to bringing their ecommerce experience up to 21st century standards, but I think it is just too screwed up to fix. I live a few miles from Sears Corporate Headquarters, so I'm exposed to more of what's really going on at Sears than the "average" person. My local taxes went up to cover all the tax concessions the local government gave Sears to build their HQ here. The management just is not up to the task of bringing Sears back. In decades past, managements main goal was how to please the customer, provide a quality product, and making a profit for the company. New managements main goal (at almost all companies, not just Sears), is to how to pocket the most money for themselves, even if it means screwing their employees and customers to accomplish it. The customer is no longer king and no longer "always right". That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Just my $0.02. YMMV.

 

[Perrorojo]

I'll add my .01 (internet pricing special on .02). As a corporation, Sears wants to make **% on every $1 of sales. That's how they stay alive. If they source the CM brand domestically, they are going to pay more $. That's a fact, we all know it. I buy things for a living. As an example, I can buy a hardwood Ash bar stool from China, have it shipped here on a boat, trucked from a coast to Indiana and stained whatever color I want for less money than I can have a local Amish shop build it from scratch. Sad but true. I could buy it locally but that would cost me more, which raises the wholesale price by **%. The retailer then raises the already raised price by 2***%. That makes my product less competitive and costs me sales, which lowers my market share and weakens my company, forcing me to slow production and lay off workers. It *****. But the general public doesn't care. The 150,000 people on GJ might care and have pride in "Made in USA", but the other 299,850,000 people in this country don't. I'll stay away from CEO compensation because it's irrelevant. Some of them deserve every dime they make and some don't. Mine is worth every penny as we are up **% based on his direction.

So while we are all on GJ typing our blood pressure up and not working in our garages, Sears is failing. It will most likely die during our lifetime (some of us are younger than others).

Maybe, we should find something more constructive to talk about than Craftsman. There's 150k members here, which one is going to risk it all and start a foundry to make reasonably priced "Made in USA" tools? I'm sure every member would buy something if the price and quality were better Craftsman.

 

[otis66]

I have nothing against tools made in China/Taiwan. I have some GearWrench tools made in China and Taiwan. GearWrench makes a pretty decent ratchet, and sockets too. I will never buy Craftsman tools NOT made/stamped USA. I only go to Sears now to exchange a broken Craftsman tool. I buy USA made SK and Wright. If I'm in a jam I will go to my local auto parts store and buy GearWrench. The only reason I used to go to Sears was for Craftsman USA made tools. I can buy cheap tools at any store and they are so cheap I do not need a lifetime warranty. Sears Blew it... Or everything is going according to plan.....Drain the company until there is nothing left..... Then close it down and give management/investors an insane bonus for tanking the company.

 

[bigbearcraig]

Disregarding the Craftsman issue, I think the big problem with Sears is the market place has changed and Sears has not. What we are seeing is the last gasp of breath from a dying company. I think Sears could be saved, but not in the form we see today, and I doubt that Sears Holdings has any desire to invest the money that would be required to turn the name around. Just my opinion.

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

Yeah I'm not understanding the business philosophy of Sears anymore. I know most guys will laugh but use to be going to Sears meant you were buying a quality tool. Now its becoming less so especially with the China made tools they sell. I just have to wonder what Sears management believes will draw me to their store 20+ miles away when I can go to Lowes down the street and pick up some cheap *** tools with the same quality?

 

[ganymede]

I'll add my .01 (internet pricing special on .02). As a corporation, Sears wants to make **% on every $1 of sales. That's how they stay alive. If they source the CM brand domestically, they are going to pay more $. That's a fact, we all know it. I buy things for a living. As an example, I can buy a hardwood Ash bar stool from China, have it shipped here on a boat, trucked from a coast to Indiana and stained whatever color I want for less money than I can have a local Amish shop build it from scratch. Sad but true. I could buy it locally but that would cost me more, which raises the wholesale price by **%. The retailer then raises the already raised price by 2***%. That makes my product less competitive and costs me sales, which lowers my market share and weakens my company, forcing me to slow production and lay off workers. It *****. But the general public doesn't care. The 150,000 people on GJ might care and have pride in "Made in USA", but the other 299,850,000 people in this country don't. I'll stay away from CEO compensation because it's irrelevant. Some of them deserve every dime they make and some don't. Mine is worth every penny as we are up **% based on his direction.

I wish more people could be aware of and comprehend this before getting in these discussions. They think workers go and pick ratchets off of the tool tree or something.

Maybe, we should find something more constructive to talk about than Craftsman. There's 150k members here, which one is going to risk it all and start a foundry to make reasonably priced "Made in USA" tools? I'm sure every member would buy something if the price and quality were better Craftsman.

And then even when Craftsmans starter ratchets were domestically made and priced at 14 dollars people still complained about them being pricey.

 

[Conductor562]

I can't help but feel that some clever marketing would have revived the Craftsman line. They were decent quality American made tools for a decent price and I have to believe they could have dug their way out of the rut. I haven't seen a Craftsman commercial in years, though I do admit I don't watch much TV. In my observation Craftsman has spent at least the last decade focusing on gimmicky **** as opposed to their hard line stuff and they paid for it in the long run. I never had very many Craftsman tools because Sears was a bit of a drive in a direction I never had many occasions to go and let's be honest here, the Williams made Kobalt stuff was fan f#%king tastic! It came out about the time I really got hooked on tools and I bought a ton of it. The 1st gen Kobalt Ratchets, Wrenches, sockets, and screwdrivers, made anything Craftsman offered run and hide. Anyway, back to my original point, Craftsman was a very marketable commodity, they just quit marketing it properly in my opinion.

 

[87FoRunner]

I can't help but feel that some clever marketing would have revived the Craftsman line. They were decent quality American made tools for a decent price and I have to believe they could have dug their way out of the rut. I haven't seen a Craftsman commercial in years, though I do admit I don't watch much TV. In my observation Craftsman has spent at least the last decade focusing on gimmicky **** as opposed to their hard line stuff and they paid for it in the long run. I never had very many Craftsman tools because Sears was a bit of a drive in a direction I never had many occasions to go and let's be honest here, the Williams made Kobalt stuff was fan f#%king tastic! It came out about the time I really got hooked on tools and I bought a ton of it. The 1st gen Kobalt Ratchets, Wrenches, sockets, and screwdrivers, made anything Craftsman offered run and hide. Anyway, back to my original point, Craftsman was a very marketable commodity, they just quit marketing it properly in my opinion.

Truth.

 

[pfarber]

Yes, the union stooges who took a massive pay cut in 2007 and executive pay went through the roof, the CEO got over 300 percent raise, those evil unions screwed the company.

Union rules:

Cannot have bread and pastry on the same delivery truck.... even if the truck is going to the same store. MUST MAKE TWO TRIPS, one 1/2 full of breads, one half full of pastry.

Cannot have the same same guy LOAD the pastry that loaded the bread. One guy loads the truck half full of bread, truck delivers to store X. Truck returns from store X. A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT UNION MEATHEAD *MUST* load the pastry, in the same truck, that is going to the same store.

Yeah, its managements fault.

And I hate to tell you.. EVERYONE is taking a hit in the economy. I'll take a little bit of rough time to ensure that my employer stays open. UNIONS were more than happy (well, stupid) to let the place shut down.

Unions are a remnant of a bygone era.. and are not needed.... unless you are a union boss.

 

[pfarber]

I'll add my .01 (internet pricing special on .02). As a corporation, Sears wants to make **% on every $1 of sales. That's how they stay alive. If they source the CM brand domestically, they are going to pay more $. That's a fact, we all know it. I buy things for a living. As an example, I can buy a hardwood Ash bar stool from China, have it shipped here on a boat, trucked from a coast to Indiana and stained whatever color I want for less money than I can have a local Amish shop build it from scratch. Sad but true. I could buy it locally but that would cost me more, which raises the wholesale price by **%. The retailer then raises the already raised price by 2***%. That makes my product less competitive and costs me sales, which lowers my market share and weakens my company, forcing me to slow production and lay off workers. It *****. But the general public doesn't care. The 150,000 people on GJ might care and have pride in "Made in USA", but the other 299,850,000 people in this country don't. I'll stay away from CEO compensation because it's irrelevant. Some of them deserve every dime they make and some don't. Mine is worth every penny as we are up **% based on his direction.

So while we are all on GJ typing our blood pressure up and not working in our garages, Sears is failing. It will most likely die during our lifetime (some of us are younger than others).

Maybe, we should find something more constructive to talk about than Craftsman. There's 150k members here, which one is going to risk it all and start a foundry to make reasonably priced "Made in USA" tools? I'm sure every member would buy something if the price and quality were better Craftsman.

You missed the third, most important group: VALUE BUYERS. If I see Kobalt, Craftsman and Pittsburgh brand I will but what I think is the best value. Some personal choices will also enter (I don't like the super thin wrenches, and I like the round handle wrenches. I prefer laser etch over stampings.

I don't blindly look for a logo or brand. I look for the tool that will do the job for the best price.

No one brand can do that.... thays why all the retailers have at least two lines. T

 

[creativecars]

I think when people criticize Craftsman Tools, what they're really doing is criticizing Sears. Their customer service and stores have declined over the years. When I was younger I'd either go to the hardware store, Sears, or electrical or plumbing supply house to get a tool. The arrival of the big box stores with their vast inventory of tools put the first nail into Sears Coffin. The arrival of the internet, giving us the ability to find and buy almost any tool on the planet, was the death blow to Sears. Sears, once considered the Worlds Largest Store, had the oppotunity to be what Amazon is today. The less than stellar management at Sears coupled with their inability for envisioning the future, finished them off. Imran Jooma is the current Sears executive assigned to bringing their ecommerce experience up to 21st century standards, but I think it is just too screwed up to fix. I live a few miles from Sears Corporate Headquarters, so I'm exposed to more of what's really going on at Sears than the "average" person. My local taxes went up to cover all the tax concessions the local government gave Sears to build their HQ here. The management just is not up to the task of bringing Sears back. In decades past, managements main goal was how to please the customer, provide a quality product, and making a profit for the company. New managements main goal (at almost all companies, not just Sears), is to how to pocket the most money for themselves, even if it means screwing their employees and customers to accomplish it. The customer is no longer king and no longer "always right". That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Just my $0.02. YMMV.

A"GREED"...emphasis on GREED. Sears management has been making poor choices for many years. I dont know what they could have been trying to do, other than run it into the ground. The Craftsman line included, about 15/20 years ago they bought out Western Auto and ruined a very good company. Sears CEO's should be left pennyless, but we all know that wont happen.

 

[zakmartin]

Re: Why are Craftsman tools being crticzed so much?

or maybe its more of a racist issue?

I do see a lot of racist comments on this board; almost all of them directed toward people of Chinese ancestry. It's not about COO, it's about race. When I see it, I call people on it, since I'm half Asian. I think 95 percent of this board understands that this is a tool forum, not race forum, but there are some who can't help themselves and make statements that show their own bigotry. They'll deny it, of course, they always do. I spent four years living in Korea (I'm half-Korean, which most full-blooded Koreans see as an abomination). Trust me, I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of racism. I have scars to prove it. I suppose if it's any comfort to people who joke about "happy endings" and whatnot on this tool board, it's that there are about 1.8 billion Chinese people who probably feel the same way about you.

That being said...

Craftsman USED to be a great brand. But all you need to do is pick up a 1/4" RP ratchet from 15 years ago and compare it to one made recently, even one that was manufactured in the USA. The difference is obvious. Craftsman has given up. They are sticking their middle finger at their customers, some of which have been loyal to them for GENERATIONS, and they have shown over and over again that their word means nothing.

I own a LOT of Craftsman tools, most of which were purchased in the late 1980s through the early 1990s. It was rare to find a quality Craftsman tool one or two years ago, and now, it's just about impossible.

There are so many other brands out there that offer better tools for close to the same price. Stick with SK, Armstrong, Proto, whatever... you'll be happier in the end.

 

[kythri]

Re: Why are Craftsman tools being crticzed so much?

I do see a lot of racist comments on this board; almost all of them directed toward people of Chinese ancestry. It's not about COO, it's about race.

I've been seeing this abhorrent behavior quite a bit lately, myself.

Unfortunately, there's so much traffic on these boards (the tool section is just one small part) that the mods aren't always able to catch it.

I strongly encourage everyone who sees this vile behavior to click the "report" button and notate it with "racist comments" or something to that effect.

 

[shoturtle]

Re: Why are Craftsman tools being crticzed so much?

I do see a lot of racist comments on this board; almost all of them directed toward people of Chinese ancestry. It's not about COO, it's about race. When I see it, I call people on it, since I'm half Asian. I think 95 percent of this board understands that this is a tool forum, not race forum, but there are some who can't help themselves and make statements that show their own bigotry. They'll deny it, of course, they always do. I spent four years living in Korea (I'm half-Korean, which most full-blooded Koreans see as an abomination). Trust me, I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of racism. I have scars to prove it. I suppose if it's any comfort to people who joke about "happy endings" and whatnot on this tool board, it's that there are about 1.8 billion Chinese people who probably feel the same way about you.

Very true there has been a fair shear of racist aimed comments on this board. Sad people can not seem to separate tools form people.

 

[87FoRunner]

Re: Why are Craftsman tools being crticzed so much?

There are so many other brands out there that offer better tools for close to the same price. Stick with SK, Armstrong, Proto, whatever... you'll be happier in the end.

Ah, so SK give the happy ending?

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

Well this is a new twist to the normal "Bash on Craftsman" thread - now people who don't like Chinese tools are racist. Couldn't be that 95% of the tools that come from China are complete **** and there is absolutely no patent protection in China...nope, if I don't like a Chinese wrench because it bends like foil, it must inherently be because I don't like Chinese people, not a function of the tool itself.

 

[-Brent-]

I heard a bunch of criticism in the aisles of the Sears that's closing a few miles away from me.

Some of it sounded like disappointment of a company they had grown up with. Other sentiments rivaled sentiment heard here.

I went to see the markdowns and walked away with a USA made Empire straight edge. A USA Cman 20" 3/8 extension and a couple other other old stock items, scratch awl, etc.

 

[bigbearcraig]

I have absolutely nothing against the Chinese people, but I sure don't like the quality of a lot of stuff that is produced there. I have had more stuff fail that was made in China than any other country, and when I say fail, I mean prematurely fail. I try very hard not to buy Chinese made stuff.

 

[shoturtle]

Well this is a new twist to the normal "Bash on Craftsman" thread - now people who don't like Chinese tools are racist. Couldn't be that 95% of the tools that come from China are complete **** and there is absolutely no patent protection in China...nope, if I don't like a Chinese wrench because it bends like foil, it must inherently be because I don't like Chinese people, not a function of the tool itself.

The wrenches that bend like tin foil are made in india. Most of the cheap wrenches that are on the market are from india. The chinese wrenches from craftsman including the black universal are sourced in china and are pretty stout. Especially compare to india.

All HF and northern tools wrenches are india made, not the better quality chinese. I would really get the sourcing of the tools right. tin foil wrenches india, lobster claw china.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

The wrenches that bend like tin foil are made in india. Most of the cheap wrenches that are on the market are from india. The chinese wrenches from craftsman including the black universal are sourced in china and are pretty stout. Especially compare to india.

All HF and northern tools wrenches are india made, not the better quality chinese. I would really get the sourcing of the tools right. tin foil wrenches india, lobster claw china.

I've had Chinese wrenches fold up like foil when using them.

Gotta love it when someone else knows more about the tools I've used than I do.

 

[shoturtle]

I did say most, and the craftsmans are not weak like tin foil. This is a craftsman thread after all.