Why we buy Craftsman tools...

[hayhauler71]

Originally Posted by PatrickGMC70

90 days warranty only. Believe me, if they would have taken it back, I wouldn't be writing this. THere's always the write-a-letter-to-the-home-office option, but I've already wasted enough time on this thing.

Had the same problem with mine I took it back during Christmas and found one of the temps they hire during the holidays and exchanged it. I was lucky the wrench was only 12 years old.

[cannaert]

I own a mixed bag of tools, I have Mostly Snap-on but I do have some Matco, MAC, Cornwell, Old Craftsman and some Old S&K. For the longest time I was the only person that had any Snap-on tools, out of my friends, up until this past year. They all use the Big Box store tools and used to make fun of me for it. But for the past 10 years out of all my tools I have only broken about 15 of them and they seem to go threw that same amount of tools or more every year.
You get what you pay for and that is the truth of the matter.

I do have to add this,
I went to my local Sear Essentials store that was closing and got a complete 300+ tool kit for a job that I had just got and did not want to drag my big box to the place or a small box with tools every day to and from the job.
I was no to impressed with the over all quality of some of the sockets and the 3/8" and 1/2" ratchets are just complete junk out of the box. The 3/8s feels like some put dirt in the guts of it and it likes to switch directions on you well you use it. The 1/2" is had to change the ratcheting selector on it and something it will not go back in once you get it to move over.

I ended up giving the complete set to my 8 year old son because I know he will use them and if he breaks one I could care less and its easy to get new ones for him.

[special-K]

Two summers ago I swapped axles from my 3/4t Suburban 4wd to my Jimmy. My 25 year old Craftsman floor jack had been funky for years after lending it out and the guy had a car fall off of it. Let's say it was tweaked but usable. I really needed two anyway,one to lift the vehicle and another for under the axles. I git a bigger and a smaller one. The smaller one had to go right back after the first time using it. I pumped it up to the axle and that was all she'd do. Wouldn't lift a thing. Took it back and got another. Got the jib done and only used either one a handful of times since. Well,just after a year had past,the big one messed up. The pin that goes in the handle u-joint broke,rendering the jack useless. All I have is the small one so I grabbed that. It worked fine till I realized once I stopped pumping it started dropping slowly. So,both jacks worked a handful of times before crapping out. And,don't forget the third one I returned the day after I bought.
I also bought a cordless multi-tool for the carpentry work I do. First,the allen bolt that holds the blade on stripped out the first time I changed the blade. I used Channel locks to get around that. Then,the battery started working it's way loose causing the tool to cut off,you had to push it in while you used it,and if you let up it cut off and you had to turn the switch off and on again. Then!...One of those times I did the routine and it didn't work at all. This is a very occasional use tool that I hadn't used a dozen times. It was also just out of warranty. So I'm not too keen on Craftsman tools these days. I hope the wrenches and all don't follow this route.

[dieseldawg142]

old craftsman is where it's at. i have probably a thousand craftsman sockets, wrenches, ratchets, specialty tools etc. from mid to late 80's, early 90's. love 'em, well made (USA). was in sears the other day with my 8 yr old son to get some tools for him, could'nt belive how much china i was seeing, & the quality does not seem to match my old stuff, depressing. great return policy though. 2 sockets-no problems, 1/2" drive ratchet, gave me a new ratcheting mechanism, funny thing was, there was a price of $26 on the mechanism, why would you pay for it, when you get it for free with a lifetime warranty

[FetchMeAPepsi]

I couldn't agree more with the Craftsman stuff being good. I know, some of their stuff isn't so great anymore (some say) but I've never had anything but good luck with them. See my build for how I tore up a set of Stanley vice grips in short order. The Craftsman just kept on jawing, snagging, and turning. Not a mark on 'em.

[bighaas79]

Interesting info I recently found out. Craftsman, Kobalt, and Matco ratchets are all made by the same company. The replacement ratchet mechanisms are the same kit for all 3 ratchets. Not sure if it was real but I also saw a pic of a Matco swivel head ratchet with a Craftsman handle the had supposedly just been taken out of the package new. It had been part of a Matco ratchet and socket kit.