Lowe's now carries Craftsman tools.

[Maggot]

And as the article suggests this could be the end for an American icon, sears roebuck Inc.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/craftsman-tools-lowe-apos-bad-141800973.html

 

[ArmyJerry]

Hmmmm sad really

 

[demolitionman]

seems like a good time to plug a relatively lesser known old school kick ass American tool company; Wright Tools. If anyone wants the absolute most kickass wrenches get some Wright wrenches. Better than my Mac ks2’s or snappies.

 

[demolitionman]

Hmmmm sad really

Not really.

 

[Va_Gentleman]

The tool industry is so incestuous ... Since SBD, has acquired so many "brands" there is limited production channels that are used to save cost and increase profit margins.

The Craftsman tools that were sold 10 years ago were made by a different manufacturer.. 10 years before that... different... Now.. will probably be the same as the Kobalt Mfgs...

What is negotiated with SBD is who will make the tools and to what Spec. Sears will carry the Craftsman brand as well... but through a different Manufacturer.

What we have seen in the last 40 years is like Nashville Song Writing. The song is written, and the big boys decide who is going to sing it.... the artist makes a pittance of what they should and the Big Boys collect the checks. The Brand and Quality Product have been divorced for a long time; so... there really should be no Brand Equity/Loyalty from the consumer.

It's surprising that most consumers are not aware of this fact, much like they are not aware that a politician will say different things to the audience they are speaking to that day versus another part of the electorate the day before. This is the same....

 

[MtnCreek]

My dad handed a craftman breaker bar to a freaking monster of a man that was trying to remove a tractor wheel. Said monster of a man broke the breaker bar. Dad took it back to get a replacement. Guy at sears said they would not replace it because there's no way he broke it without using a cheater. Dad explained to him that he didn't break it, someone else did and if they didn't replace it he'd come back with the guy that did. They replaced it.

 

[Bradu]

The Sears in our local mall closes this month. That place is becoming a ghost town

 

[j-huskey]

Well, there goes the neighborhood....

 

[1J04]

The tool industry is so incestuous ... Since SBD, has acquired so many "brands" there is limited production channels that are used to save cost and increase profit margins.

The Craftsman tools that were sold 10 years ago were made by a different manufacturer.. 10 years before that... different... Now.. will probably be the same as the Kobalt Mfgs...

What is negotiated with SBD is who will make the tools and to what Spec. Sears will carry the Craftsman brand as well... but through a different Manufacturer.

What we have seen in the last 40 years is like Nashville Song Writing. The song is written, and the big boys decide who is going to sing it.... the artist makes a pittance of what they should and the Big Boys collect the checks. The Brand and Quality Product have been divorced for a long time; so... there really should be no Brand Equity/Loyalty from the consumer.

It's surprising that most consumers are not aware of this fact, much like they are not aware that a politician will say different things to the audience they are speaking to that day versus another part of the electorate the day before. This is the same....

You said Incestuous

 

[rijndael]

I've been buying most of my hand tools at Harbor Freight. The quality gap that may have been there years ago isn't as wide.

The new tool box I just bought from HF is far nicer than my Craftsman boxes.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

When I started my trade in the early 90's, I had a craftsman 1/2 drive ratchet. A guy who worked alongside me had a "MasterCraft" ratchet, that honestly looked identical. One would swear they came off the same machine, same assembly line, outta the same factory. One just had a different name than the other.

Each also came with a "lifetime warranty" where you just bring it back to the store, and they exchange it for a new one, no hassles. Obviously my store was Sears, whereas his store was Canadian Tire. Which had been (essentially) a step up from Harbor Freight, in comparison.

Thing is though, his ratchet broke on average, 4 times a year. Which means that he had to use something else till the end of the day, then drive to the store and exchange his tool, then drive home. That takes time, and gas money. Not to mention the inconvenience. Add that up over the years.

Most times it was the 'gearing' inside that would strip. Sometimes it was the actual 1/2" square that would twist right off the face. Once, it was the outer ring housing that cracked. All kinds of different failures. Each time, his ratchet was replaced with an identical model, and it still looked like my Craftsman one.

I still have that same ratchet, to this day. Almost 30 years later. Says something about tool quality, for actual users. Next question I have, is do they still (Craftsman) have the same 'warranty' exchange program that Sears had?

No, I don't need a new ratchet. I've a few pin punches though, that were over-hardened and shattered.

 

[rijndael]

Next question I have, is do they still (Craftsman) have the same 'warranty' exchange program that Sears had?

I just exchanged a Craftsman ratchet, one that was swapped out for the same reason not too long ago. The ratchet's internal teeth skipped if you used it with a certain twist/cant. They handed me one from this big bin that looked like refurbished units. It had scratches on the outside, minor ones, but the ratchet's internal mechanism didn't slip like the one I was returning.

If this ratchet breaks again, I'll take it to Home Depot and use their Craftsman tool trade-up program, they'll swap it for a Husky tool.

 

[EddieNFL]

The Sears in our local mall closes this month. That place is becoming a ghost town

Malls, much like Sears are a dying breed.

 

[Bradu]

When I started my trade in the early 90's, I had a craftsman 1/2 drive ratchet. A guy who worked alongside me had a "MasterCraft" ratchet, that honestly looked identical. One would swear they came off the same machine, same assembly line, outta the same factory. One just had a different name than the other.

Each also came with a "lifetime warranty" where you just bring it back to the store, and they exchange it for a new one, no hassles. Obviously my store was Sears, whereas his store was Canadian Tire. Which had been (essentially) a step up from Harbor Freight, in comparison.

Thing is though, his ratchet broke on average, 4 times a year. Which means that he had to use something else till the end of the day, then drive to the store and exchange his tool, then drive home. That takes time, and gas money. Not to mention the inconvenience. Add that up over the years.

Most times it was the 'gearing' inside that would strip. Sometimes it was the actual 1/2" square that would twist right off the face. Once, it was the outer ring housing that cracked. All kinds of different failures. Each time, his ratchet was replaced with an identical model, and it still looked like my Craftsman one.

I still have that same ratchet, to this day. Almost 30 years later. Says something about tool quality, for actual users. Next question I have, is do they still (Craftsman) have the same 'warranty' exchange program that Sears had?

No, I don't need a new ratchet. I've a few pin punches though, that were over-hardened and shattered.

If you tried the newer ratchets with 80 teeth, you wouldn't have a use for that anymore.

 

[Bradu]

Malls, much like Sears are a dying breed.

Yep, everyone shops online anymore. There isn't shit where I live and it's a town of 40k. Best buy couldn't even make it so you either buy Wal-Mart junk or order off the internet. The only store front we have for guns is a joke, shitty selection and their prices suck. I don't k ow how they stay open.

 

[packratt]

The Craftsman tools you get now aren't the quality they were 20-30 years ago and a long way from the pre-WWII set of my fathers.

You couldn't get me to buy any of them. About 10 years ago my Torque wrench broke 6 hours away from home, and any wrenches I could borrow, while changing a head gasket on my brother's ex's car. Sears refused to warranty it. I bought a replacement and returned it after replacing the head.

I don't have time to waste on tools which habitually break. I've abused some Kobalt and Napa Evercraft as truck and tractor tools but I'll rather spend the money and get good tools.

 

[Maser]

I know I'm gonna sound like an unwashed heathen asking this, but what's so good about Craftsman tools other than the lifetime guarantee? I own plenty of tools that are a huge hodgepodge of different name brands and they all function just fine as long as you take care of them. As much as we humans love warm baths, tools love acetone baths as well to clean them.

 

[oneshot86]

no, tools dont love acetone baths

only a retard would do that to his hand tools

 

[Kadams1563]

This is actually a decent thing. Craftsmen has bought out several tool makers and took over the Lowe’s contracts. Sears are all but out of business and they wouldn’t exchange tools on the spot anymore anyway.

Least Lowe’s still does. Even with the Kobalt brand.
They are nothing like they used to be but good hand tools are so much money now days that I’ll just buy whatever I need and go into replace it if it breaks.

 

[vh20]

When I started my trade in the early 90's, I had a craftsman 1/2 drive ratchet. A guy who worked alongside me had a "MasterCraft" ratchet, that honestly looked identical.
Obviously my store was Sears, whereas his store was Canadian Tire.

I know the MasterCraft tools. Here in Alabama my Canadian friend has some in his toolbox in his hangar. We loan stuff back and forth since my hangar is right around the corner from his. They seem like decent tools. He said where he's from, everyone calls Canadian Tire "Crappy Tire." Ever heard that?

 

[Va_Gentleman]

I know the MasterCraft tools. Here in Alabama my Canadian friend has some in his toolbox in his hangar. We loan stuff back and forth since my hangar is right around the corner from his. They seem like decent tools. He said where he's from, everyone calls Canadian Tire "Crappy Tire." Ever heard that?

Yep.. Canadian Tire is a pretty cool retail shop in the great North. They have lots of stuff.. MasterCraft is a brand generated by Asian imports on Tools, Bets, Vacs, etc.... I think Cleva makes the Vac's and CLC the belts, REN the tools and I don't know the wernches.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

I know the MasterCraft tools. Here in Alabama my Canadian friend has some in his toolbox in his hangar. We loan stuff back and forth since my hangar is right around the corner from his. They seem like decent tools. He said where he's from, everyone calls Canadian Tire "Crappy Tire." Ever heard that?

"Crappy Tire", yeah, my grandfather learned me that one, when I was a little kid. For about 30 years now, I've been calling it Cambodian Tire, because everything they sell seems to have been made in Cambodia.

I won't deny though, that their quality is MUCH better now, than it was 20-30 years ago. So much so, that My Lady and her mother (my Mother in Law) gave me a MasterCraft Cordless set of drill/impact driver with 2 lithium batteries. That is the best drill and driver set that I've ever had/used. And I've used a lot of them, over the years and in the trades. Impressive shit. Now just to see how long they last.

Gotta give credit where it's due, right?