Why we buy Craftsman tools...

[Texasupton1]

While at my Dads in East Texas over Christmas, he took me out to his work shop and started trying to give me some of his tools. With my 83 project truck and him getting a little older, I guess he figured I would use them more than him. While looking though things, I came across a like new Craftsman ratcheting wrench with a broken mechanism. He was going to toss it out, but I told him I would take it back and see if I could get a new one since they have a lifetime guarantee. I have not done this in years and was wondering what kind of a pain it would be. So when I got back to DFW, I took it to Sears. It was not a normal wrench, as it had no sizes on it, just 0-1-2 one one end and 3-4-5 on the other. The sales person said it was part of a kit, that came with a driver, and used sockets. He said they did not have any, but would call Craftsman to see what they said. He did, and they told him it was discountinued, but was worth about $20. He hung up the phone and told me to go pick out whatever I wanted, I had a $20 credit. WOW. I went over and got 2, offset SAE ratcheting wrenches that were about $10 each. He put them in a bag for me with a receipt and told me to have a nice day. No paper work, no hasle, no proof of purchase, no B.S., just good, old fashion "stand behind your product" service. I asked him about my screwdrivers that had chewed up blades and tips and he said as long as they are not bent or rusted, bring them in for a trade out. THIS, is why we buy Made in the USA quality like Craftsman.

[crazeetxn]

Agree. Unfortunately, there are folks out there who will abuse it and in the long run, it's going to cost us honest ones.

Heard the other day they quit making tape measures. Just the tapes now.

I've only had to take 2 tools back. One was a screwdriver where the tip had broke off and the other was a stubby rachet. They had both on the shelf and told me to just go get another one.

Yeah, that's why I buy from them

[BurnoutNova]

I really like craftsman tools, unfortunately the quality keeps getting worse and they don't keep all the stuff at their stores like they used to.

Even worse they are having everything made in China now. Still have a warranty, if the sears store in your area doesn't close that is...

[sleepchamber]

Sears never should have bought Kmart....that is what is dragging them down. And I am sorry that Walmart has put KMart out of business.....Walmart sucks!

[id_unavailable]

I am going to give their return policy a test as well as home depot husky brand. I have a few ratchets that are broke. 2 of the 4 are legitimate problems with the ratchet mechanism. The other 2 are from a 3 foot pipe extension and the head is sheared off. I can understand if I catch flack for the sheared ones.

Does depot have a receipt policy? I will post results when I get around to it.

[cableguy0]

I would buy husky tools from home depot long before buying any of the craftsmen junk. I hate there ratchets and sockets. I get tired of the ratchets changing direction on a tight bolt or cracking sockets. My tools are used daily at work and I cant screw around with junk. I have more trust in some of my stuff from harbor freight than I do the junk from craftsmen anymore. I have watched there quality fall off completely over the last 10 years. In tools just as anything else You get what you pay for.

[BarryB]

Originally Posted by sleepchamber

Sears never should have bought Kmart....that is what is dragging them down. And I am sorry that Walmart has put KMart out of business.....Walmart sucks!

To clear this up. Sears did not buy out kmart. It was a holding company that bought both Sears and Kmart. Then started combining the products sold at the stores.
BUT as for their hand tools, Thats all I have in my tool box, for the price paid the wrenches are hard to beat. break them take em back. (my sis is a manager at a sears. so I usually just give my broken tools to her. She switches them out for me.) Their screwdrivers are on the other hand aren't the best I've used. Thats why I have set of Mac screwdrivers in my box. And reason for that is, Mac tool truck was the only truck that came by my former place of employment.

[Texasupton1]

I was not aware they are now made over seas. Mine are about 17 years old, so I hope they are made in the USA. All I am trying to do here is pass along a positive experience. I deal with customers all day long and not many will take the time to talk about something good.

[Restrorob]

Not to rain on your parade but...... The last ratchets I tried to trade in didn't go very well. The lady said they didn't swap ratchets any longer, They have to ship them off and have new ratchet mechanisms installed which takes 2-3 weeks.

I told her I didn't want new head kits installed in old handles with worn splines, I need these for work. I CANT work with no ratchets !!!

She said sorry that's all I can do, I snatched them up off the counter and told her I just lost 2 hrs work and made a 90 mile trip for nothing, I'll NEVER step foot in another sears.

They were trashed and replaced with Snap-on......

[manimal]

Thats weird, I have NEVER had any problems swapping out broken for new Craftsman tools. I USE my tools too and have never really had anything fail on me. I have snap-on crap that has broken before my Craftsman. I have a whole variety of Craftsman,Mac,Matco,Snap-on,Bonney,Plumb,FORD,and many others that are still wrenchin away!

[dwcsr]

I got my first set of Craftsman tools almost 50 years ago and still have most of the original set. They are still my first choice for hand tools.

The warranty has changed over the years and most notably when Kmart and Sears merged and then let other stores sell Craftsman tools and Diehard batteries.

This is the current warranty for those that want to get the tool fixed or replaced.

http://www.craftsman.com/cswarranty/...0227082#point1

print it off and bring it with you when you go. Some tools you have to prove you purchased it at Sears to return it there.

[pritch]

I've never really had a problem returning broken Craftsman tools, but then I haven't done it lately, except for tape measures. I'm probably the one that some would say abused the system, but if someone is fool enough to put a lifetime warranty on a piece of crap, it's kinda their own fault. I bought a 30' Craftsman tape in '86 or so and replaced it every time it wore out. As a layout man and Concrete Mason, I wore out a lot of tapes. Then one day they said they quit making the 30 footers, 'cause they wore out too often and that they would replace mine with a 25'. I asked for a refund just so they would refuse, and stormed out with my new 25' tape. Then a few years later, they brought back the 30'-and you guessed it, they wouldn't take my word for it that I used to have a 30. Then a few years ago, they quit taking back tapes all together. They will replace with Craftsman until they are out. All they had last time I went was a 26' with feet and inches on the bottom of the blade and metrics on the top. Now, I'm left handed, so when I use a tape that is designed for a dam rightie, which they all are, the top of the blade is what I use. I put up with that tape for about 2 weeks, then oddly enough, a track-hoe ran it over and Sears gave me a Stanley for it.

And then a couple years ago, I had a few extra bucks, so I went down to Sears and bought a nice new drill press. I got it home and put together and went to drill some holes in a 2x4 for a project, and the bit just smoked. I figured it was pretty dull, so I put in one known to me to be sharp and it still just smoked. So I got out a brand new bit and it still smoked. Then I noticed it was spinning backwards! I'll bet ol' Won Hong Low laughed all the way home from the sweat-shop that day, wiring that motor up backwards like that. Shoulda seen the look on the Sears guy's face when I packed it all back in and showed him it run to the left.

And yet, I still buy Craftsman tools.

[GRX]

Originally Posted by BurnoutNova

I really like craftsman tools, unfortunately the quality keeps getting worse and they don't keep all the stuff at their stores like they used to.

Even worse they are having everything made in China now. Still have a warranty, if the sears store in your area doesn't close that is...

Full agreement here. Craftsman is certainly not what it used to be. I won't buy anything new from them. No substitute for QUALITY. With that said, my favorite wrenches & ratchets are Plomb & Herbrand passed down from my father and grandfather, some of which are WW1 era and still work great.

[Marv D]

Old Craftsman are a great buy off evilbay ,, OLD estate typew stuff. The 'new' is simply junk made wherever,, but not in the US.

When Craftsman was made by Stanley tool they were a good hand tool,, now, PROTO is my favorite. There the NASA grade tool from Stanley and you can get the tool you want.. like remember when you could wlk in to the larger Sears stores and get a thinwall, 1/2", deep, 12pt socket in 3/8" drive if you wanted..... You can at Proto but you have to order them from the likes of Grainger,

[hotrod 80]

Originally Posted by Marv D

Old Craftsman are a great buy off evilbay ,, OLD estate typew stuff. The 'new' is simply junk made wherever,, but not in the US.

When Craftsman was made by Stanley tool they were a good hand tool,, now, PROTO is my favorite. There the NASA grade tool from Stanley and you can get the tool you want.. like remember when you could wlk in to the larger Sears stores and get a thinwall, 1/2", deep, 12pt socket in 3/8" drive if you wanted..... You can at Proto but you have to order them from the likes of Grainger,

I bought a full set of Proto wrenches at a pawn shop by digging through the bins . Someone lost them and they just dumped the whole set in a wrench bin . I ask if i found all of them what the lady would want and she said $20 . dUg them all up to 1 1/4 great set of wrenches . I have all my old craftsmen stuff and just bought my son in law a full set for Christmas . I also got a 3 piece set of 3/8 rachets and 2 different 1/2 rachets from Snap-on as good rachets are a must for me . The Kobalt stuff is good . I have 2 sets of Klein wrenches and and a 1/2 " rachet set , they are good tools .

[jimboh247]

I've got a teen-age son who tends to "lose" everything, mostly my tools. Therefore, I can't spend a bunch on great tools.
I've found, if used correctly, anythng will work at least once.

[Mr. 250r]

Craftsman isn't 100% usa built because i own a set of the new ratcheting wrenches from them which are made in china i know people don't like it but they work fine for me and that is all im interested in just as long the the stuff works ill buy it

I also like kobalt and some other smaller names and snap-on as long as i don't have to buy them because they're pricing is the biggest joke ever

[midniteblues]

these damn craftsman rachets keep wearing out or the square drives keep breaking off ugh!!its great that they are returnable but jeez every change of the season im taken back rachets the gas money going back and forth couldve bought me a set of quality ones. oh yhea i also had to take a tape back just about every 3 months for 14 yrs i was on first name basis with the clerk being quality control at a cabinet shop my tape was in my hand 7hrs 57min a day consantly breaking the tang or poppin the spring. jimbo247 i hear you on the teenagers i always told my son as long as you dont lose these tools you can have them for the rest of you life still like a teenager he leaves them under cars at the j yard or forgets they laying on the back bumper im picking tools up going down the driveway kids!!!!

[BurnoutNova]

Originally Posted by midniteblues

these damn craftsman rachets keep wearing out or the square drives keep breaking off ugh!!its great that they are returnable but jeez every change of the season im taken back rachets the gas money going back and forth couldve bought me a set of quality ones. oh yhea i also had to take a tape back just about every 3 months for 14 yrs i was on first name basis with the clerk being quality control at a cabinet shop my tape was in my hand 7hrs 57min a day consantly breaking the tang or poppin the spring. jimbo247 i hear you on the teenagers i always told my son as long as you dont lose these tools you can have them for the rest of you life still like a teenager he leaves them under cars at the j yard or forgets they laying on the back bumper im picking tools up going down the driveway kids!!!!

I've only broken 1 square drive off of a ratchet, and that was with a pipe around it putting way more stress on it than it's designed for. Ratchets aren't meant to be used to break stuff loose, that's what a breaker bar is for.

Maybe that's part of the reason your ratchets keep breaking. Get a breaker bar

[hatt]

I'd like to see how the people who break stuff all the time use their tools. I've broke a few Craftsman sockets but never a ratchet. I do try and use the right size drive, I'm betting that's the difference. I'm sure someone out there this very minute is working on a locomotive with a 3/8 ratchet with a couple adapters to get at that 3" bolt.

[dwcsr]

The only time I broke a drive is when the socket wasn't fully onto the drive or when I have used a pipe on a ratchet.

[DanSan c 10]

Thanks for passing on a postive story. If you are happy all is happy. I have older craftmans and like them.
But sadly not made in USA anymore. So no more China stuff for me.
Buy USA

[BMERDOC]

My Grandparents used to drag me to yard sales because my family was broke and thats the store we shopped at. I soon learned to look for Craftsman tools because they were so liberal with thier warranty policy. I had a tidy little set for close to nothing because of it. Since then they have changed the policies and its not so easy. BTW, I'm a Master BMW mechanic and you may be suprised at the tools I work with sometimes just because I dont wanna lose one $20 screwdriver. My concern isnt with buying a new set of whoseywhatsits but replacing the ones I lost.

[GRX]

Not saying it's the case with anyone here. I am amazed how many people who don't own a breaker bar. No one who owns ratchets should be without one, both 3/8 and 1/2.

[A-J]

I've been working in the tool industry for the last 5 years. I hate to say it, but it's not worth debating which company is better. The industry is so inbred it's nauseating. Craftsman has been using an American manufacturer named Danaher for their mechanics tools for a very long time. Recently I've heard rumors that they've finally decided to head overseas to get their costs down and compete with the likes of Stanley, Husky, and Kobalt.

Manufacturing overseas is a topic that I could easily write or talk about for hours. The list of problems is never ending. One of the worst problems is that Stanley, Husky, and Kobalt are all made in the same factory. Soon you can add Craftsman to the list. Not ALL the tools are made in the same place, but many are. MAC tools sources from over seas vendors as well and they perform very little to zero testing, relying solely on the vendor to provide "quality control". Proto still makes some of their tools in the states to continue getting military contracts, but only certain ones. One of the few companies I think makes everything in the states is Cornwell Tools in Ohio.

I still tend to buy Craftsmas simply for ease of getting them replaced. Craftsman has slowly been getting their products into stores like Ace, so hopefully there will be more places to exchange other than Sears. As a whole the tool industry can be depressing from behind the scenes, but it's near impossible to find a product that differs these days.

~ AJ
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