A while ago we talked about how some of Craftsman’s new tools were being made overseas rather than here in the USA. More recently, some of Craftsman’s current tool lineup underwent a production shift, with some of the mechanics tools now being made in Asia. We spoke to Craftsman about this, and were told that their tools are manufactured to the same stringent standards regardless of where they’re made.
We were curious to see how a new 2012 made-in-China Craftsman raised panel ratchet (948807) compares to a 2011 made-in-USA version.
Stephen K, from the GarageJoural Forum, already did a great comparison, and so we asked for permission to use his photos.
Looking at both 2011 and 2012 versions, you can see that the newer import model has a slightly larger head.
The increased thickness around the 1/4″ drive is especially noticeable when you look at the drive-side of the ratchet.
The overall finish looks to have been changed as well, with the newer model sporting what looks to be a brushed treatment.
The mechanism appears unchanged, with the reflections in the USA-made ratchet being due to copious amounts of lubrication around the gears. Stephen reports that the gears are interchangeable, meaning that standard repair kits will work with either ratchet.
Both versions have a similar quick-release mechanism, with the new version featuring an added plunger that extends slightly passed the end of the 1/4″ drive to help eject a socket.
There are slight differences between the gears – the USA version is taller and the teeth appear to have a thicker top land. This might have an effect on the strength and durability of the imported ratchet’s gears, or maybe not. Whether or not there will be less tooth engagement also depends on the design of the pawl.
Craftsman’s raised panel ratchets are not superb by any means, but they’re inexpensive and hugely popular, especially when you consider that these are bundled with most Craftsman mechanics tool sets. The new version is meatier, and the gears are slightly different.
All photos by Stephen K, used with permission.
There is a lively discussion about the ratchets over at the Garage Journal Forum.
There were two reasons I have ratchets like those above. One reason was the warranty, the other, they were US made. Sears just took away the main reason I don’t have Husky or Stanley ratchets in my ‘carry around’ toolbox.
Its not just the quality of the tool that we care about, its where its made and who is employed to make them. Looks like Im now officially done with CMAN from here out considering the ratchets are now made offshore. I also have no desire to warranty a US made tool for an offshore replacement.
Unfortunately this message does not resonate strongly enough where the higher-ups making these decisions are willing to listen. Execs look at reports and sales figures and see that most consumers care more about low prices than they do things like where a tool or product is made.
It is also important to note that, regardless as to whether Sears or OEM execs give a damn about the tools or not, there are engineers, designers, and product managers working for them that do the best they can given the limits and conditions imposed on them. For that reason I am open-minded when it comes to new Craftsman designs that are manufactured overseas. But when a domestic-made product gets outsourced, that’s not usually something I can accept so easily.
Guess I’ll be sticking with their ‘slim profile’ series or whatever they are called.. they are noticeably higher quality than these raised panel ratchets anyways.
I have a 3/8 raised panel ratchet that I left a friend use, he abused it torquing lug nuts onto an ATV and it has been very loose since. I’ll be upgrading it to one of the slims.
I’d love to try those premium ratchets as well some time, but they are a little much for a ‘homeowner’ use budget. I missed a deal last week on the 3 piece set of slim profiles for $50.
From what I’ve read, the thin-profile ratchets are now being manufactured overseas as well. =(
You are correct. The slim polished ratchets are being made overseas. I bought a set on sale 3 weeks ago for $44.99. When I got them no “USA” was on the handle. I took them to my local Sears who I knew had one set of USA made set on the shelf. They swapped it out with me no issues. The salesperson himself said he would have done the same thing.
I wonder if there would be such a hoopla if the same new 2012 ratchets were built in the USA. As far as I can tell all of the changes are to make manufacturing simpler and take fewer steps, not a result of where they are made.
That is possible, but is difficult to tell just from appearances.
My goal here was not to focus as much on the USA vs imported issue, but to examine the design changes.
I also have a comparison of Crescent’s new adjustable wrenches coming up. In that case, it looks like changes were made to improve the features and performance of the tool while outsourcing production. Here, the changes appear to be cost-cutting, with the exception of the added quick-release plunger.
Sears is behind the curve, the trend is towards coming back to the US, in my opinion from what I read. I figured Sears was finished when I saw Craftsman at Mennards.
This is unfortunate. Economics do play a role here. I liked a lot of the Craftsman tools because they were made in the US in addition to good quality and excellent warranty. Perhaps the quality will still remain. Overall, it is getting harder to find reasonably priced, good quality tools for the average homeowner/DIY (me) that are still made in the US.
I have the made in US versions of the 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 raised panel ratchets that came with Craftsman 137pc Mechanics set (9-35137), which I got a few years ago for $80 plus free Craftsman 23pc screwdriver set. With the exception of only including 3-inch 1/4 and 3/8 extensions, the set is probably more than I will need. But I do find the 3/8 ratchet a little small in my hand. Can anyone recommend another a different 3/8 ratchet of similar build quality and price?
I buy most of my hand tools here.
http://store.harryepstein.com/search?q=Ratchet
Thank you, Allen. I will definetely check them out.
Gearwrench is another option. They’re not made in the USA, but the quality is quite decent. The 3/8″ ratchet is about $32, but a 2 or 3-size set will drop the per-ratchet cost.
bad move,Craftsman is taking away one of it’s greatest selling points. Their bread and butter is that they are U.S. made tools for a good value.
I don’t buy much in the way of automotive ratchets and much of anything anymore from Sears – as my home tool collection was pretty well filled out many years ago.
The latest set of ratchets we bought were from Lowell – a brand many plumbers know – but others maybe not so much.
Still made in the USA
Here’s the style we most recently bought:
http://www.lowellcorp.com/products/doublehandle.html
The other thought that I had – was that is it possible that an OEM for folks like Sears may shut down production here – or raise prices – or move production to Asia – all of which can force the issue a bit.
I had no idea this was happening………..and sears has No idea how much this will destroy thier brand. I will have no reason at all to buy Craftsman tools that are not US made. THAT was the whole point of Craftsman Tools.
If everything is made in china now I will just buy Husky or even harbor freight.
I was of the opinion that Craftsman was down, but not out, in the tool respectability world. I was wrong.
Its not just in the name……..its clear that the US made tool has a better refined manufacturing process…….or just US worker pride shinning though.
So much redneckism going on here it’s ridiculous, bordering on racism even. A tool is designed to get the job done. I don’t know anyone who buys a tool or a car or anything to support jobs in their country, because it’s such a retarded and dated idea and with so little merit so as to be laughably sad. China now is going through what the U.S. was going through in the early and especially the post war period: rapid boom combined with ability to manufacture goods well and cheaply. The iPhone, for which no comparison exists, is made in China. But guess what? The U.S. gets the biggest chunk of its revenues as manufacturing only makes up a small percentage of its costs, ditto many of the other costs.
At the end of the day, by saying “You’ve taken away the only reason to buy [enter brand here] now that they’re not made in the U.S. anymore!” you’re basically saying that you’d rather an American worker have a job vs. someone who is not American. What’s the difference? Manufacturing jobs have gone away here but we’ve created many more jobs in the higher end of the spectrum. Besides, labor cost is NOT the primary reason why people go overseas, but rather the skill, capability, and willingness to produce something which no one here would bother producing.
I come here to learn about new tools and deals, but this ignorance and redneckism is frankly turning me off on the whole thing. Have fun blaming the problems of this country on companies who desire to make good products overseas.
Ahh, grasshopper, I once thought as you did, let the market decide, they have a labor advantage, economic theory says let the least cost producer do what they do best. Everyone benefits.
Trouble is we became a service economy, a declining middle class coupled with a trade deficit that we can’t support to a country that doesn’t share our liberal views of worker rights and environmental protection. I will buy European, Eastern European, anywhere from the Americas, nearly anywhere but China. The trade deficit with them is unsustainable, they have unfair trade practices, piracy of technology, inhumane worker conditions, there is simply no reason to buy from them other than price.
It’s not my intent to degrinate your views, I respect any views that are carefully considered but you loose audience when you cry racism, and threaten the site with lost readership. I can assure you I am not a racist. I sell products to China and I am happy to see their living standard improve, but our country has let short term greed rule our actions. This greed is at the top in the company boardrooms and at the bottom when folks buy only based on price, although I fault the latter less.
It’s very complicated, and I’m sure others have more informed views than I, but you paint with a very wide brush.
I’ll grab my coat now.
Let me ramble for a bit.
I have purchased plenty of “Made in the USA” items only to find that they were of low quality, so I do not mindlessly shout “BUY AMERICAN!” Frankly, the quality of living in the US creates an environment where the labor cost to produce low tech products (industrial equipment, clothing) would make its pricing noncompetitive compared to other countries, so American manufacturers sometimes have had to resort to lower quality designs or materials to cut cost. There are many instances where foreign products are much better than American ones (until recently, basic cars were a perfect example that could not be argued with).
However, this does not mean that one should not reconsider the quality of the Craftsman product when they change design and manufacturing process. As I’ve stated before design and manufacturing changes are done with the finanicial bottom line in mind, but this does not necessarily mean that this process always results in a lower quality product.
A tool can be overdesigned- a socket wrench can be made so strong that the socket or the bolt it interfaces with will fail well before the socket wrench. That would be unnecessary strength, and would have negative effects like increased weight, increased cost, and an increase in size. A tool like a wrench can be redesigned to reduce weight and give a smaller, better contoured profile, all while not losing any appreciable amount of strength.
Having said that, China is not known for its production quality. That is something they are working on, but currently China has issues with manufacturing quality control. Things leave their production line that would not pass in other places. China is also known for using lower quality materials that may look the same as something stronger, (and will probably not be noticed by 90% of the end users), but that does negatively affect the product. This tactic is also done in the US as well as a way to offset higher labor costs, but this is also done in China.
Without knowing the materials the Chinese wrench is made of, as well as the manufacturing process (how the gears are cut for example), it is hard to tell if the new design is stronger or weaker than the US version. But the fact that the body of the Chinese version is larger is a big negative, since that could cause limits in tight spaces, such as working on a car. Usually a part becomes larger when weaker materials or a manufacturing process that creates a weaker part are used, so more material is needed to keep the part equally strong.
Now for 90% of users, this does not matter. Truthfully, for 90% of people, harbor freight tools will work just fine. Craftman knows this- they know that their tools historically have been overdesigned for how they are used, and they need to lower production costs to stay competitive. But I cannot say that it isn’t deceptive.
Henry, or may I call you Hank in my best redneck speak? Lots of people buy products made in the USA to support workers in the USA. Why do you think the packaging has a big MADE IN THE USA lable on it. Why do you think the ratchet says USA. Have you ever seen a Craftsman Tool package with a big lable on the front that reads MADE IN CHINA? No you haven’t, in fact it says made in china so small that you actually have to hunt for it dont you Hank. Why would that be Hank? Could it be that made in the USA is a selling feature and made in china is not? Hank can you tell me why the imported ratchet in the photo above isn’t stamped china vs the USA stamped one, could it be marketing? Hank do you really even have any tools?
Hank and I are friends. He showed me how to put a socket on a ratchet so I know he knows what he is talking about. He even proved that Evolve tools make bolts work better. I even have the original starter on my car.
My good friend Henry. I thought you were not going to let everyone know you were Chinese. No one can see the yellow jelly stains on your Evolve wrenches. I don’t see anything wrong of their necks are red. I’m surprised you are making fun of native Americans. Last time you were showing me how to re cover my green Evolve tool handles you thought the green on the handles were superior to any American green (except Lee Green) and you said all ratchets and sockets should be green plastic.
The concern about quality is only part of the concern. Products from China are made by organizations (companies) that pay extremely low wages to workers who frequently are “under age” and who must work long, long hours (frequently >70-80 hours a week) in unsafe or marginally safe conditions. Those organizations also totally neglect their environments responsibilities.
Buying Chinese manufactured tools contributes to and builds organizations that exploit workers, damages the environment and generally ignore the most basic of safety requirements. Consider all these things next you’re in Harbor Freight or are considering any purchase of a Chinese manufactured item.
Everyone’s points are very well taken, and I appreciate your views. But please, PLEASE keep things civil with divergence to a minimum.
I don’t want to have to close the post to comments.
Stuart – you have obviously hit a hot-button topic with some strong emotion being released.
While Wassily Lieontief would probably have something to say about this if he were still alive, I do not have his credentials or intellect to intelligently prognosticate on where this is all heading as far as the global economy is concerned. We have obviously seen the Chinese economy come to life – with lots of world manufacturing – particularly in consumer goods moving there. I see that some folks like to make generalizations about China and some other Asian manufactured products. Such generalizations seem to me to be the very definition of prejudice. I’m willing to believe that there is a spectrum of quality represented by Asian, European and US manufactured goods- and some of this depends on the standards set and QA processes implemented by the company that attaches its brand name to the product. I’m also hoping that China will ultimately step up to its global and domestic responsibilities to the environment and its citizen’s/workers as its economy expands and standards of living improve.
Sometimes we also get caught up in apples and oranges comparisons – giving less than due attention to the relationship between price and quality and the thought that there is room in the market for various quality goods. I recall that not all US-made tools were top of the line – or even reasonable quality although many were. At one point we were all worried that it would be post Demming (TQM) Japan that would eclipse US manufacturing of hig quality tools. Now it seems to be China and on the issue of Chinese tool quality, it is unlikely that China can long continue to grow, or even maintain what they have, if all they produce turns out to be shoddy goods.
What concerns me (perhaps a lament of old age) more is what seems like a continuing drive towards planned obsolescence and mediocrity as the lowest common denominator. I’m not so concerned that tools offered at Wal-Mart are not generally up to professional contractor standards – as long as I’m still able to get such tools at cost-effective (notice I’m not saying cheap) prices.While I have Oster threading machines that are 60 years old and work fine – having such an expectation for a new cordless tool is just silly considering the advancements expected in battery technology and power electronics. My expectations do run along the lines that a tool marketed to a professional audience should last long enough to payback its purchase price, not fall apart prematurely on the job and injure someone, result in a poor finished product or loss of productivity. I’m hoping that when a reputable firm puts its name on the tool – whether it’s made in the US, China, Japan, German, Mexico or elsewhere, they have engineered it and taken enough control of the manufacturing process that it will meet my expectations.
You can look at the whole foreign vs. domestic situation as a values equation. Most of the time the difference in price is modest so it becomes a personal choice. If the foreign hammer is $5 and the domestic one is $6 and the quality is similar, what does the extra dollar get you? It could mean that all 6 dollars stay in this country to pay Americans to make tools instead of work in fast food. If that matters enough you will spend the extra dollar, and if many people make that decision then companies will realize that cheaper is not always better. The line that really irks me is when the companies claim they were “forced” to move production overseas to lower costs and compete in the market. Nobody forced you to pay your CEO 1000 times the pay of your line worker, so that excuse is not going to fly with me or the rest of the 99%.
Everything in the USA repair kits fits in the China ratchets…except for the selector switch. The hole in the back of the ratchet is too small for the selector to fit through. So you could put USA guts in it, but have to use the Chinese switch.
Evolve tools are green and that’s why they are good.
Well I have had Craftsman tools for many years and bought them because they where made in the USA now that they are made in China I am done with Craftsman!
If people want cheap tools just buy the Evolve brand.
Sears really should leave Craftsman tools USA made .
Ill buy used Craftsman tools from E-bay before I purchase anything made in China.
I think Sears are shooting their self in the foot with this move.