Over at Amazon, they recently added several hundred new Craftsman tools to their online store. Most aren’t shipping just yet, but marked with a “usually ships within 1 to 3 months” ETA, which usually means inventory is on the way to Amazon warehouses.
There are also new “fulfilled by Amazon” Craftsman tools, such as this Craftsman V20 brushless hammer drill, but those all appear to be tools that were purchased from Lowes and shipped to Amazon for resale by third parties.
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Amazon also has Sears-era Craftsman tools listed, which you can tell from their model numbers. The 9-47136 screwdriver set, for example, doesn’t have a Stanley Black & Decker Craftsman hand tool prefix, which starts with CMMT or CMHT. There could be other variations, but the point is that a 9-0000 model number is normally indicative of a Sears Craftsman tool, and CMHT0000 would be indicative of a new Craftsman hand tool.
Do you know what kinds of Craftsman tools that Amazon has not listed yet? Craftsman utility knives, Versastack tool storage, or cordless power tools (although there are new outdoor power tools).
Other recent Craftsman tool posts:
Here’s a quick peek at some of the new Craftsman tool offerings:
There’s a large mechanics tool set. Shown here is the Craftsman 300pc Master Set.
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And of course there are raised panel ratchets. They’re described as Craftsman “Iconic” 36T ratchets, and indeed are they iconic. These ratchets are available in 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″ drive.
The new Craftsman 120T dual-pawl pear-head ratchet looks like a big step up when compared to the raised panel ratchets. So far, it’s only listed in the 1/2″ drive size.
The new Craftsman adjustable wrenches are available in a 3pc set, and also a 2pc set.
At this point, I should mention that some of Amazon’s Craftsman tool prices match Lowes pricing, but others are higher. We might see some price reductions or price matching once the tools start shipping, or maybe as part of Father’s Day promos.
What I find interesting is that there are a whole lot of “open stock” Craftsman wrenches, where you can buy just the size you need, as opposed to having to buy a multi-piece set. Sorry, there’s no easy link, you’ll have to sort through the wrench listings.
There are a whole lot of individual Craftsman socket sizes as well.
If you want socket sets, they have that too. In addition to mechanics tool sets, they have inch, metric, and bit socket sets.
There are a lot of different Craftsman ratchet and socket accessory sets.
They have a Torx bit socket set, and I’m crossing my fingers that there will also be similar hex bit sets.
They at least have ball hex socket sets, in SAE and metric sizing. I’ve had great experiences with a Proto ball hex socket that came in handy for multiple projects, and would like to buy more, but my needs haven’t risen above the price tag yet. The Craftsman sets are a bit more affordable, but there’s not much in the way of user reviews or reports about the quality yet.
They’ve got a couple of ratcheting wrench sets. Shown here are reversible ratcheting wrenches, but they also have locking flex (ooh!), and zero-offset non-reversible wrenches.
There’s a 5pc acetate-handle mini Torx screwdriver set. The styling looks familiar, but it has current/new Craftsman product SKU. It’s only $12.
There are several options when it comes to Craftsman impact socket sets. They also have listings for individual sizes.
The new $100 Craftsman corded impact wrench (450 ft lbs max torque) also made it to Amazon. But, it’s the only Craftsman power tool listed so far, aside from lawn and garden power tools.
The Craftsman “classic chrome look” tape measure is also listed, but all of the new USA-made Craftsman measures are not, or at least not yet. It’s $9 at the moment, which is more than Lowes has it for.
The sole Craftsman hammer listing is for their 20oz general purpose rip-claw model.
This 3pc nailset punch set looks good. I don’t use nailsets often, but I like the look of the handle grips on these. On the other hand, my USA-made Sears Craftsman 3pc nailset are plainer in appearance and construction, and would take up less space in a tool bag or box.
Only a couple of Craftsman saw blades and other power tool accessories are listed so far, but it’s nice to see these reciprocating saw blades marked as being “made in the USA with global materials.”
At this time, there are a couple of listings for circular saw blades – there’s a 2pc 10″ saw blade set, and a 3-pack of 7-1/4″ framing blades.
You can even buy a Craftsman steel wrecking bar from Amazon. Frankly, I can’t imagine how Amazon can make money on these if they ship them for free. They’re available in 24″, 36″, and 42″ sizes. There’s also a listing for the Craftsman 30″ multi-function utility bar, which has a “serrated duck foot” prying end.
I’m really curious to see how Amazon might package and ship something like this.
There aren’t too many Craftsman tool storage or garage storage products yet, but there are a couple, such as this 28″ wall cabinet. The wall cabinet is made in the USA with global materials.
This Craftsman 10pc Z-driver bit ratchet set caught my attention, but it doesn’t look anything like the Craftsman Z-driver screwdriver that Sears used to make. Is this a remake of the Z-driver, or is the name simply a coincidence?
Curiously, the Craftsman bit ratchet looks a lot like the Bostitch set that was on sale a while back, and also the Tacklife bit ratchet set that was priced at $13 last week when I mentioned it in my Sunex bit ratchet set post.
Several big questions remain. Will there be more new Craftsman tools coming to Amazon, and what kind? Craftsman cordless power tools? More Craftsman core hand tools? Craftsman tool storage?
Lowes has quite a few Craftsman tools that still seem to be exclusive to them, but there are also some Craftsman tools that can be found at Amazon but not Lowes. For instance, Amazon recently listed a new Craftsman door hinge and hole saw install kit. Lowes.com doesn’t have this in their online catalog, although it might be or have been available at some of their stores.
This big push is well-timed, and I would expect to see a lot of the tools start shipping ahead of Father’s Day. What kind of Father’s Day Craftsman Tools promos do you think Amazon has planned for this year? Lowes? It’ll be interesting to see if their Craftsman promos will be competitive or complementary.
More(via Amazon)
Bobby
Well that’s gonna hurt my wallet :). I’m gonna have to pick up that z-driver. Still happy with my (new) Craftsman acetate screwdrivers. Just ordered a Craftsman spark plug gauge from Lowe’s.
Eric R Bachelder
Get the Gear Wrench set instead!
https://toolguyd.com/gearwrench-microdriver-review/
Andrew
If anybody recognizes my name yet I think its clear I like Craftsman. Yes it is what Dad used but I do also make money with my tools so I also have a lot invested in Makita among others. I dont use hand tools much so I do tend to stick with Craftsman but have yet to purchase anything new, still hoping for USA hand tools. What I see as their current best buys is things like impact bits and hole saws and things that are clear copies of either Dewalt, Irwin, or another of SBD brands just at a cheaper price. In terms of the impact bits the case is even a lot better than the crappy Dewalt case. Something to be said about going into a store and actually looking at things like the case rather than buying on Amazon.
Bobby
Fair point about looking at things in store. One of the screwdrivers I ordered from Lowe’s was cancelled a couple days ago, because they were still packed away. Per the manager, it sounds like Lowe’s is getting ready to put out a a large Craftsman display next week with more open stock tools.
Stuart
I agree – I LOVED visiting Sears to help with my purchasing decisions.
However, not all Lowes have many Craftsman tools yet. I kept visiting mine, only to see barely more than what they had for the 2018 winter holiday shopping season.
https://toolguyd.com/visit-lowes-tool-department-032019/
I don’t quite think that, even with their tool department redesigns, Lowes will have anywhere near the shelf space that Sears used to give their Craftsman tools.
Andrew
I think that depends on the store. The regional store by me has A LOT of Craftsman and has had it for some time. My local store just last week finally put out Craftsman power tools and a few hand tools. That one is a small store though and like you said, limited space will hinder them. Back in the old sears days specialty mechanics tools were ordered, which will be the same at Lowes, just probably to a greater extent. I’m fine with that personally as I really only do basic work on cars. I’m curious if Craftsman will come out with tools such as band saws and table saws and how that would fit into a Lowe’s lineup.
Mike (the other one)
I do miss browsing the tool section at Sears. It was nice to inspect each tool and pick the one with the fewest imperfections, or compare it with a different model.
I guess those days are long gone, because Sears tool section is mostly empty shelves. Lowe’s is getting there, but it will never quite be the same.
Toolfreak
Most of the Lowe’s around me have gone through the tool section remodel, and though the bigger stores do have more Craftsman than the smaller stores, it’s really just a few small panels of the hand tools, chrome and impact sockets, wrenches, ratchets, etc, and then a smattering of the rest of the SBD Craftsman-branded stuff around the rest of the dept.
It’s not even close to what a Sears mall store had.
Part of that is because Lowe’s isn’t Sears, and they do home improvement, not JUST tools. The hardware/tool department at Sears was TOOLS.
I think Lowe’s is big enough to eventually organize things and have a better Craftsman tool selection once SBD figures out what they’re doing long-term, and Lowe’s does more than just arrange the Craftsman tools and tool storage the same way they did the Kobalt tools and tool storage.
Joseph
I was browsing Lowes and I noticed the the entire section for all brands for wrenches, ratchets, screwdrivers, etc. was much smaller than comparable section at my Sears store. So even if Lowes took half of the current items off the shelf and replaced them with SBD Craftsman, it would still be substantially less than Sears. That makes me wonder how well exchanging a tool at Lowes would be.
Jared
That lead photo of the bit ratchet – it looks a lot like my Mastercraft bit ratchet (although Mastercraft has a 8mm box end for some reason).. It’s one of my favourites (and I have several), so that’s not a bad thing.
I find bit ratchets lose their utility when they get too big, so I tend to dislike longer ones, or double ratcheting ended ones. I stripped my Mastercraft ratchet recently, so I just might try the craftsman as a replacement (although my Wurth/Zebra bit ratchet is my current favourite).
Mike (the other one)
I finally bought a SBD Craftsman tool: a magnetic bit screwdriver. I found it with the socket sets instead of with their other screwdrivers. It’s the new style with the red and black handle. Made in China, but it’s $5. Doesn’t come with bits.
I figured it would be a good way to try out the new style and it’s cheap enough that I don’t mind lending it out (No one gets to borrow my Klein screwdrivers!) Plus the bright red makes it easy to find. It also has a strong magnet, which is nice.
Might get the new Z Driver.
PETE
I anyone really excited about any of this?
Toolfreak
The people at SBD and Amazon who will be getting rich.
That guy
Right… Sorry Lowe’s
John
The lowes where I live just replaced their kobalt stuff with the new craftsman. I had very low expectations and was still very disappointed – things like the raised panel wrenches look awful, their prices are not competitive, and absolutely none of the hand tools are made in the US. Harbor freight is clearly a step up in quality, which is not a great place to be.
Joseph
I second what John said. The prices are high and the quality was lower than what I expected for made in China tools–that is a really sad thing.
Steve
The Lowes nearest me finally reset their tool department and added a large selection of Craftsman, including individual tools (they are in Craftsman tool box looking drawers). I would imagine this reset is coming to each store eventually, some just have to wait longer than others.
evadman
I love that I can get craftsman all over the place now, and places can compete on prices, which makes my wallet happy. Some of those prices are pretty scary though. For example, the 36 tooth ratchets are often available in a set with a few sockets for $10 for 1/4, 3/8 or $20 for 1/2″. Those are the ones I loan out to neighbors or such, and If I don’t get them back, I don’t care too much.
I don’t see anything on warranty for these. That’s a huge reason that I started as a craftsman person, I could just go to a store and swap if something broke. I need to research how the warranty works now. I really don’t want to have to figure out where I bought something to bring it back to that specific place, or ship stuff somewhere.
Wayne R,
I agree about needing the simplicity of the old Craftsman warranty. I’ve only used it once, but that warranty (and knowing how rarely it was needed), was a *huge* selling point.
Walk in, and so long as it said “Craftsman”, swap it.
Seamus
At least in ace hardware stores, replacement is as easy as it was in sears. As long as the tool has a stamped sku that matches something they carry that is
Steve
Lowes is supposed to provide the same Craftsman warranty experience you had with Sears per their agreement with Stanley Black & Decker. They are supposed to warranty all Craftsman stuff too, even stuff they didn’t make. I assume this will be the same for all legit SBD Craftsman bricks and mortar retailers, I wonder what the process will look like for Amazon, maybe they will refer you to SBD.
Tim
I am still not planning to buy any new Craftsman hand tools until they bring more production back to the US. They keep saying they are scaling it up, but we will see.
Tom
For the majority of people who bought craftsmen ( USA made tools) we’d like to see in the listing where these are made.,because it matters.
There are hundreds of other companies selling Chinese made tools, why buy craftsmen? Its all the same from China….better from Taiwan but no where near American made quality.
Big Richard
Not all of us, I for one could care less about the “Made In [insert country here]” sticker. I may be in the minority on this site, but I care more about the quality of tool and the quality of the brand. A good brand stands behind their tool, regardless of where it is made. Usually that “Made In USA” sticker just means it will cost more. And personally, I think a lot of my German, Italian, or Swiss made tools are better quality than USA made tools.
Popgun42
Its a world deal now. Made in USA usually cost more. Quality and good price is want I want. I see tool prices going up. I shop for good deals.
Toolfreak
The availability is nice, but after seeing the new SBD/Craftsman tools at Lowe’s, right now these just seem in-betweenish, as in most of the stuff looks like it’s Apex-manufactured the same as what Sears is still selling but SBD had them change the stamping/engraving to distinguish the Sears Craftsman tools from the SBD Craftsman tools. Which is good, but most of the SBD Craftsman stuff is higher priced than what the same item sells for at Sears.
That, plus I don’t like the stamping/engraving they went with.
The impact wrenches seem decent for the price though, and along with the impact sockets, could make for a nice budget setup, if you want bright red tools.
Joseph
Agree 100%! The “easy read” socket that Sears makes looks fine compared to the one above where the number will wrap around the socket. So if you look at one side of the socket that has a “large” wrapped around number, you may think that it is a different size that it actually is vs. looking at the easy read which is always printed in a square.
SBD’s Apex tools does seem to be higher priced that the comparable ones made for Sears. I am not sure who makes the wrenches for Stanley, but the raised-panel wrenches were awful quality that I saw at Lowes. The rectangle panel wasn’t straight and the stamping was not clear.
Suzan M
Try shopping your locally owned Sears Hometown Stores. Actually be able to see and handle your items before purchasing. Keep small business in business.
Corey Moore
Sears can’t keep Sears in business, though. And Sears is who ran Craftsman into the ground. I’m for promoting local businesses, but that’s a far cry from what patronizing Sears is doing.
dstblj
Sears hometown stores are independently operated franchises
The What?
I don’t think that craftsman will be at full scale US production ever again. In fact I don’t think we’ll ever see any of the brands that were founded here come back to full scale US production. At least not while the current owners are still at the helm. The only thing that they care about is their greed. They don’t give a shit about how many Americans they lay off when they close those factories. They’re glad that they don’t have to pay us anymore. Their way of thinking is why pay an American worker $18/hr plus overtime pay plus paid vacation time plus benefits when they can pay some foreigner less than $5 for a 10 hour shift who doesn’t even know what benefits are. Unfortunately this is the mindset of those at the helm of the company that owns craftsman whether it be Sears or sbd along with the current ownership of many other once proud American made brands of tools that are now entirely foreign made or made in the USA with global materials. Made in the USA with global materials didn’t exist until full scale production moved overseas. And how a wrench is made in the USA with global materials is a real headscratcher. Which part was made where?
Corey Moore
The wrench. With cheaper steel sourced elsewhere.