Dear Craftsman and Sears,
While the elimination of Craftsman Professional tools from your product catalog and outsourcing of tools previously made in the USA are separate issues, I believe cost-cutting to be a common reason. In any case, both major changes have had a similar effect – I find them extremely unfavorable.
Where oh Where Did All the Pro Tools Go?
Where did all of the Craftsman Professional tools go? The Craftsman Professional wrenches and ratchets are no longer branded as such – they’re now “full polish” (and made in China). What does that say about the products, that they’re no longer fit to be described under the professional branding?
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As I understand it, you’ve done away with the Craftsman Professional brand entirely. Some tools have been renamed (and resourced) and remain on store shelves. But where did all of the other tools go?
After noticing a significant reduction in the number of Craftsman Professional hand tools, pliers and adjustable wrenches at first, I reached out and asked Craftsman reps about this. The answers I received were hardly adequate. They were fluffed up with marketing speech and didn’t really answer any of my questions.
Many Craftsman Professional tools – dozens of SKUs – are just gone. Pulled or clearanced from stores and Sears.com. Why? Before anyone asks, yes, I already checked the Craftsman Industrial product listings, and they’re nowhere to be found.
How does this affect me? For one, there were tools on my wishlist that I can’t buy anymore as my needs grow. Beyond that, the warranty and replacement guarantee attached to my Craftsman Professional tools are now worthless. What good is the famous Craftsman Guarantee if the tools can’t be replaced? If a tool fails or breaks due to a design or manufacturing defect, I don’t want to settle for a lesser replacement. If it fails or breaks due to user error, I want to be able to purchase a direct replacement.
And what happened to Craftsman’s tape measures? What will be axed from the lineup next – hammers, screwdrivers, levels, or layout tools?
STOP BUTCHERING YOUR PRODUCT LINEUP! You didn’t have the caliber of tool I needed once, twice, and then a third time. One of these days I will just stop checking.
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It’s not just the professional tool lineup that’s being slimmed down. Several people have been unable to find replacement flails for their Nextec trimmer, which appears to have been discontinued already in less than a year. About a month or two ago, one reader emailed in asking for help in finding a 12V Nextec battery. How could it be that there were no 12V Nextec batteries available at any Sears store in their locale, my locale, and via Sears.com?!
Back in November, I purchased a few cordless V4 tools. I had to do a couple of price adjustments because after just two months you discontinued the entire line. I wanted a spare battery after that, but they are no longer available in-store or online.
Can you now understand why my faith and trust in the Craftsman brand has been shaken?
Craftsman Tools are Proudly Made in the USA China
Do you remember this image? It can be found in your 2008 tool catalog.
A little over two years ago I discussed how new Craftsman Innovations were being produced overseas. At the time I worried about your intentions. Would more Craftsman hand tools – not just new designs – be manufactured overseas?
It used to be that most Craftsman hand tools were made in the USA. Now, the number of tools not made in China is dwindling. Thus far, it looks like most if not all Craftsman ratchets, specialty sockets, wrenches, and drive accessories are now made in China. Are you proud of that? What next – are all sockets, screwdrivers, and pliers to follow?
I am trying to be calm and sensible here, but I extremely unhappy at the changes I’ve been seeing. Judging from what I’ve heard and read, I’m not alone. I’m not against imported tools, but that’s a discussion for another time. My complaint is not about the fact that Craftsman tools are made in China, but that tools previously made in the USA are now being made overseas.
Why the need to ship off production all of a sudden? Whatever the reason, I’d bet my entire Craftsman tool collection that it has to do with cutting costs and improving profits. Actually, my Craftsman tool collection is worth a lot less to me these days, so maybe I should bet some of my other tools.
I can counter almost any excuse you can come up with about how the change can be a good thing, but I encourage you to still try. I cannot fathom an explanation that doesn’t involve lower costs and higher profits.
Should any of my many USA-made Craftsman wrenches fail or break, I will probably replace them with Armstrong, Wright, or Proto wrenches. I paid a premium for the Craftsman Professional wrenches because they were USA-made and priced at a killer value. They had a very solid reputation among enthusiasts and pro users.
Conclusion
There are still some interesting new Craftsman tools coming out, and many tools I’d pick up to use or even test in a heartbeat, but much of my favor for Craftsman is fading away. No longer am I an ardent fan. I still spend a few bucks at Sears every couple of months, but not like I used to.
These changes – the diminished product offerings and outsourcing trend – have severely altered the way I feel about Craftsman and Sears. I’m just one person, but I know I’m not alone in how I feel.
I’m sure that number-crunching can justify these changes, but it’s not always a good idea to just look at the numbers. Here’s a quick business lesson:
Readers are invited to share their opinions, but please keep all comments clean and civil!
rob
Very well written Stuart and you made your points very clear without “yelling.” I agree as someone who has also spent quite a bit of money on Crafstam tools in the past and being very proud of them the lack of batteries and discontinuing of entire product lines after launch has bothered me as well. In my business I have found it takes a year or more for a product/item to gain solid traction in the market. People are afraid of being early adopters then seeing it disapear in a few months w/out replacements (see:4v tools).
Hope things change and the pride people use to have in Craftsman tools can return.
Stuart
Thanks! I know a lot of people have tried the yelling route in the past, and it doesn’t work. The problem is that there isn’t just one issue, hence the need for multiple letters.
Not that I’m perfect, but I cannot believe that it has been 6 days and they are still featuring the auto hammer in the impact driver advertisement. Besides that, yesterday I saw product photos for a new Craftsman tool that look like they were placed on crinkled paper and photographed with a point-and-shoot camera.
Where’s the pride in selling quality products? I think that’s what it boils down to – there is no pride anymore, there’s only money.
The most frustrating part is that both Craftsman and Sears have a lot of great people working for them, people who do take pride in their jobs and responsibilities. But all of these things I’ve been pointing on is always someone else’s responsibility. All they can do is pass my feedback to another department.
Some of the insiders I’ve talked to or heard from know that Sears/Craftsman is wrought with problems, but like me they’re powerless to do anything about it. Well, powerless to an extent – some have left the company and washed their hands of it all.
CleanFun
Of course it’s all about cost-savings. Do you really need a CEO to write to you and tell you that? But it’s more than that; it’s about survivability. Would you pay twice as much for a Craftsman wrench than a Snap-On?
Let’s not even look at regulations placed on corporations here in the states, which are excessive beyond comprehension, and let’s just do the math on the labor.
Here in the states you have 100 people on the floor at an average of $20/hr. That’s $2,000/hr for labor alone. Now people in China work for about $2-$3/hr and 12-14 hour shifts minimum. We’ll say $3 for fun. That’s $3600 for all of them to work the whole 12 hours. $16k for 8, or $3.6k for 12? Now that $12.4k a day adds up by the end of the year, to the tune of $3.7 million dollars for a 300 day work year; which would be more like a 500 day work year if you consider the difference in the durations of work days.
So where’s the lion’s share of all the extra money going? If you said corporate fat-cats, you’d be WRONG. Try big, fat, American pensions. A whole army of little old guys with Craftsman ball-caps driving their 8mpg RV’s back and forth across the country. And those old timers aren’t even Craftsman’s responsibility, nor are they the government’s responsibility. The children of these old timers should have picked up those tools the moment their parents put them down. Oh, but we don’t want to spend all our money taking care of our folks, we want to keep it all to ourselves so we can buy more material Chinese junk. So there you have it, when you buy Chinese junk, you are supporting American workers.
Who’s responsible? You are. You and every other person who felt they deserved a raise and then refused to pay $150 for a wrench. Everybody who didn’t have the foresight to plan and stash away for their retirement, and instead became dependent on pensions and SS.
Now let’s talk about keeping it clean and civil. Why do to free speech what Craftsman is doing to hand-tools? Some of the greatest minds this planet has ever known would agree that getting a little uncivil is exactly what’s needed at times. You wouldn’t even have the right to complain in your ignorance if better men didn’t go before you and become extremely uncivil. Seriously, why not let people speak their mind, and in the way that they see fit?
ishikiri9
OK, so think about this. You’re sweating on your back, under your car, and trying to remove a stubborn bolt when your new Craftman ratchet wrench gives up the ghost. This job is urgent so you need to get your car on the road chop chop. You look at the cardboard sleeve the set came in and in very small letters you see that these Craftman tools were made in China. It is late in the evening and Sears is closed. Now, wouldn’t you have rather paid twice or three times as much for a reliable tool rather than for this to have happened? This has happened to me. In fact, every Chinese made product I have ever been forced to buy and use has failed prematurely and let me down in a big way. The Chinese are eating our lunch and it is your choice of representatives in Congress who are allowing them to do this.
Lee Wong
SMD
Drop the pension stuff, Clean, and turn off Fox News. The greatest welfare recipients are your CEOs and companies that pay no taxes and get a break for outsourcing and sending manufacturing out of the US. Trying to buy US made is hard, but you have to commit to doing it. I need a Dremel. They’re made in Mexico, likely with parts from China. Lee, you’re right on the money, but that’s what congress is taking. Thanks for the good piece.
Will
So, we should spend our entire lives scrimping and saving and never let up enough to enjoy living until we’re old, wrinkled and unfit for travel? And, on top of that, we should do it for peanuts just like workers in China, where party apparatchiks get rich off the unregulated cheap labor they employ? You sound just like the robber barons of the Gilded Age and the bankers of today.
The problem is the corporate model in which every quarter is supposed to yield profits. Logically, that is impossible in a world with finite resources.
The model should be to accept that there will be good periods and down periods, but that the companies resources are managed so that it is able to stay viable. Alas, profit, for the most part anymore, is the only driver. This will not change if you continue to be OK with buying cheap crap that you constantly have to replace.
Regulations (read: LAWS) exist so businesses don’t abuse their workers, and those workers have opportunities to enjoy their lives. CEOs and management aren’t the only people who should get to enjoy time at the lake or a road trip.
Support U.S.-made products that pay workers a living wage. Quit being a cheapskate and pay a little extra for quality tools that will last if you use them properly and take care of them.
Al Hoove
It’s not just $20/hr. That’s the wage rate. HR departments multiply the wage rate by 2.5 to get the hourly cost of an employee. So that’s going to be $50/worker. Next, each worker is potentially an unlimited open-ended liability. An injury, feigned or not, is going to drive up the employers liability insurance rate, so actuarial estimators roughly add another 0.5, so now you’re up to $60/hr/employee who’s only dragging home $20. Add in the union bullsh!t, the taxcode bullsh!t, the environmental and employment regulatory bullsh!t, the fact that the Chinese will do the initial toolmaking (meaning molds and setups) FOR FREE if they get to make the tools for you for 1/4 the price of making them in the US… and it’s a wonder ANYTHING is still made in this country.
ed
Lets not forget China has little to no regulations, plus they
manipulate their currency so that its incredibly cheap to
make products there.
Asshole McGee
And you’re the reason why there is no good paying jobs. you just want to bend over and take it up the @$$ while blaming everything but the actual reason for the situation we are in. but that is ok. When you cannot breathe and are making $10/day, be thankful that you allowed corporations to destroy everything our grandparents and great grand parents fought for. A qaulity of life.
Mike
I just wasted my time with this one. First off if they are paying 20$ an hour at sears to stand around and unlock tools when somebody needs them, count me in pal. Second, if you think that the old guy that made sears what it used to be is whats wrong with the company’s money problems thats insane, and yes they deserve thier pensions, they worked for it and the company agreed to pay it. Now the share holders i feel are never satisfied so the do things like move production overseas to add to their profits and now are paying the price for it. Sucks to be sears huh!!
Joanne Blake
Yes! I too have left Craftman. The Chinese made tools are vastly inferior to those made in the USA. Certainly I don’t want my USA made tools to be replaced with a Chinese tool. In effect, that makes the Craftman warranty a farce. If my old Cragtman (USA) made tools bite the dust, I won’t bother getting a Chinese replacement. So you must factor that into your purchase, should you be lucky enough to find a USA made Craftman tool still out there. I wonder if Sears executives have ever handled a tool. Apparently not. Otherwise they would never have made that fateful decision to put so much Chinese junk on their shelves. The Craftman name, I fear, has been forever soiled.
Al Hoove
Yes, foreign made tools are junk. Harbor Freight tools are among the worst on the planet and I’ve bought a bunch of them and intend to keep doing so.
Why? because of this. I call a concrete guy, want a new concrete ledge pinned to the existing foundation of a structure. This requires drilling with a hammer drill into the foundation, squirting in anchoring cement, then inserting rebar, then pouring the new concrete ledge. The concrete man wants $500 to drill and pin. I can do it myself for $40 worth of rebar IF I can afford a hammer drill. A Hilti or other expensive quality brand is nearly the $500 the concrete man wants to charge, so it makes no sense to buy that one. A Harbor Freight junker costs $79 plus tax. I use that on one job, it paid for itself AND I saved lots of money.
This is how the economics of cheap tools works, people. If you want to buy family heirlooms to pass onto your Great Great Grandchildren, by all means, buy Wright tools. If you want to get the job done NOW with a tool that will probably last at least the 30 day warranty period, buy cheap Chinese crap and plan on throwing it away AFTER IT HAS MADE YOU MONEY.
If it the economics of cheap tools didn’t work out, you’d see no cheap tools. It’s how the market works.
Steve
Al I agree with you, your in business to make money. My old pneumatic stapler finally went to the trash after years of service and I figured I would never use another one but needed one to staple wire to a large wire cage so went and priced a Porter-Cable and it was $80.00 so I went to Harbor Freight and bought one for $20.00, it started to fail before half way through my job, so I took it back and they gave me a new one free and it finished the job but was shot so it went in the trash. I’m 70 years old and on a fixed income, saving $60.00 for me is a big deal, but if I wasn’t retired I would have bought the American made Porter Cable stapler. I also bought a Reciprocating Saw for $20.00 on sell at Harbor Freight. I threw out the Milwaukee saws all over a year ago but wish I had gotten it repaired, because a new Milwaukee is over $200.00. I figured the Harbor Freight saw would be trash after a month or two but I used it to trim trees, cut medal and other jobs and it is still going after almost 2 years. The Milwaukee saw used a allen set screw to tighten and loosen the blade and was a pain. I finally took the Allen screw and cut a slot in it so I could use a screwdriver, the Harbor Freight saw has a keyless chuck and the head will swivel. I have felt sorry for Sears though, because the last two times I was there was to go to their optical department which is located in the basement with the tool department and both times the tool department was empty or may have had two or three people looking.
ed
I suppose it makes sense to buy Chinese junk tools if
your in that situation, but for the everyday consumer
buying Chinese usually costs more in the long run.
Especially with high price items, that you will use often.
They typically break sooner, plus Chinese made items have no resale value.
I bought a Chinese made trowel once for planting, damn
thing bent the first time I used it, I thought I had grow stronger, I bent steel! That’s how crappy Chinese tools are.
Mike
Stuart , you’ve said it all and I agree 1,000%.
I’m 60 yrs old and have been turning wrenches (Craftsman) since I was 14 yrs old . However, for the last 10 years or more the quality of the tools has gone into the toilet.
My ratchet’s used to be tough and reliable, but now they’re junk that just do not last. It used to be when one needed another tool one would go into any Sears and get a comparable replacement right then and there. Now they mail you a piece of junk that within a year (or less) they’re broken.
Craftsman has lost ALL of my business. I now purchase KD tools and hopefully they’ll remain in the states and if they don’t I;ll have to shop around for a replacement to them.
Shal ‘ aam Aleichem
AAPiY
Mike
TK
Welp
Im 24 and have been wrenching since I was 10 with Craftman’s tools as well, last year I bought/was gifted (long story) the 334 piece set and just last week I found out that they where made in china.
I assumed that they would still be made in the US, clearly I was wrong and feel like an Idiot but I do have to say that the quality is better than Harbor Frieght’s tools but not the same as the 22 piece set I have back from 2009,
The weird thing is that the sockets are heaver than the new one and as well as the ratchets/wrenching.
Blurb
They are heavier because more lower grade metal is needed to have the same strength as the higher quality tools they are replacing. If the project is theoretically out in the open where there is plenty of room for a larger socket/wrench/etc, that is not an issue, but in the tight spaces of real life, it unfortunately means that the newer designs might not work.
stephen podles
It is a sad day when CRAftsman tools are made in China.i went looking today for tools for work and there tools said made in China,so i think they should stop using the craftsman name and just stick to sears name only because the greed id taking over.
Chip
Thanks for the input, I was planning on purchasing a rather large set of Craftsman tools in the near future. I’m glad that I ran across this while looking for something else. I guess that idea is off the list of items to do…
R moffitt
How about Sears buying back all my worthless craftsman tools because they cannot replace it with the same tool if it breaks then I’ll take my refund and buy snap on or Mac proto or some other USA made tool sure I’ll probably pay more but atleast it isn’t China junk and I do mean junk I’ve used Chinese tools from numerous brands and they all are garbage no quality control junk cheap and useless
Ed
Why hasn’t there been a class action lawsuit.
Stuart
1) On what grounds?
2) With what goal?
Ian Dunn
the goal to have them make or replace better equipment. I bought a craftsman riding mower in 2014 mowed pretty good but the end of the summer the starter cracked, they did send me another one(starter) for me to put on. the following summer it wouldnt run right they sent a mechanic out 4 times before he just replaced the whole engine, he said he bent the wheel to the drive belt and said it wouldnt be much of a problem if it came off just put it back on and thats what i do every time i mow . i had to push mow that whole summer and i have almost 2 acres. I bought a weed eater and a pole saw attachment for it had to have both replaced and the weed eater engine still gives me problems. I also bought a chainsaw around the same time that also they replaced but the new one only cuts halfway through before it crapes out. i also got a mini fridge for my camper that died..mabe they should at least squash the credit owed to them since i have mostly useless junk… Most of every thing i have says made in Mexico.. not China I could go buy used shit that would last longer just sayin.
rob
Stuart, I can tell you in talking to our local Orchard Supply employees they are very happy to no longer be under the SHC umbrella. They have freedom to make choices for the local market and have also made changes on the brands they carry. Just recently they replaced the Sears paints with Benjamin Moore, I am sure BM paid quite a but for it but they are also really advertising the change. I still see them pushing Craftsman tools, but they seem to slowly be changing out some of the Craftsman storage boxes/tool boxes for other brands. I recently had an issue with a Craftsman LP string trimmer that stopped working. Sears/Craftsman/Lehr didn’t bother to respond, luckily I purchased it at OSH and they jumped through hoops to replace it for me and didn’t even really qustion what was wrong just wanted to make sure I was happy.
I recently broke out a 21″ belt sander from Craftsman that my Grandparents gave me when I was in middle school, 20+ years later it still hums right along. Not sure I will be able to say that about my more recent Craftsman purchases, which makes me sad.
jesse
I hate to say it, but Craftsman is going down the tubes. Good article and comments.
t
Can anyone say Thank YOU KMART. Letting SEARS go Bankrupt is as good as ending lifetime warranty on craftman USA tools. Bankruptcy soon on the way. Tools was the leader to get most men shopping with their ladies. Now we just hang out on ebay buying vintage MADE in the USA.
C.J.
What you guys said! Sears “Craftsman” is effectively gone as a brand “Made In America”. And it won’t be too long before Sears follows Montgomery Ward into the dust bin of American corporate history. Because like Ward’s did, Sears’ “new age management” big cheeses have totally sold out to the corporate “bottom line” They’ve abandoned Sears’ traditional reputation for quality and its unique “American” identity, for volume selling to the “new global market” of indiscriminate idiots. But they don’t give a s%#t, because they know they’ll all leave with mega bonuses and golden parachutes when it folds!
ed
Yep, you hit the nail on the head. The new American way.
Sears will be gone soon.
Allen in Oregon
That’s what I have been doing for several years now. Buy used american made tools at garage sales and off ebay.
I tried buying import but they are all junk. The very first import socket I bought were so soft I carved the teeth out of them with my american made pocket knife. Not a Joke True story.
Corporate greed, got to make more money than last month every month or the stockholders will have a fit so they pin it on expensive labor and then outsource. Corporations killed small town America already and now they are killing the rest of the country.
jeepnut
I see no reason to pay a small premium for import tools when they can be had elsewhere at a lower cost with the same warranty. The quality seems to be reasonable, but Id rather support companies that keep my neighbors employed. It was sad to see the quality of the US made stuff go downhill over the last several years as well. In the last several years I purchased brand new sockets that were pre-rusted and a toolbox with steel that was paper thin compared to just a decade ago. Then again, I have already given up on them and moved on to other brands because I worry about what I would get for a warranty replacement and service.
John
I have written Sears several times about these issues over the last two years and never even got a reply. Last year I purchased a set of the premium 84 tooth socket wrenches and I have been regretting it. Not because they aren’t a great product, but because I have never once seen them hanging on the shelves in any of the 3 local Sears, which means they will probably not sell well since they don’t have any shelf space. That means they’ll be discontinued and if I ever need a replacement I’ll be stuck with a sh*tty replacement or lesser quality.
Also, if I wanted made in China tools I would go buy them from Harbor Freight for a fraction of the price (they even have the lifetime warranty). Sears has gone very downhill over the past couple of years. Get rid of the Evolve crap and gimmicy products and go back to tried and true Made In America tools that the Craftsman name was founded on. You should be ashamed of butchering such an infamous brand.
Dan L
I have been using mostly Craftsman tools for over 30 years, but now I have been buying from Harbor Freight. If I am going to have to buy made in China junk tools, then I might as well buy them from Harbor Freight for about one third the price.
sandy lamovsky
I agree. However, I do not agree with some of the comments which blame the US worker and their desire to have pensions which will allow them to live comfortably. The execs are the problem, no matter what you say. Comparing US salaries to Chinese salaries is apple to oranges. The Chinese government artificiall keeps the exchange rate low to give their workers an economic advantage. I do pay more and do research to find and buy US products. The point is I shouldn’t have to. A lot of the blame is on the so called “patriotic” Americans who wave the the flag all the while buying the cheap Chinese garbage out there without thinking about the consequences of their decision. So, who is really more patriotic, the flag wavers or people like me who is not into the overt displays of patriotism, but put money where my mouth is?
Will
Agreed. I don’t see how anyone can claim to be a patriot and then turn around and admonish American workers who have the audacity to want nothing more than a middle class life.
People like that don’t support a healthy U.S. as we want it; they support a U.S. with financial laws that are geared toward corporate greed.
Vic
Couldn’t agree more cornwell snap-on mac matco Wright proto us made tools for quality is about it sk and Armstrong for some good quality us tools and German tools aswell hazet gedore stahlwille heyco dowidat wera to name a few and facom for most of there tools
ed
I agree. The Walmart Chinese made American flag wavers.
Sickening. Our country is a joke anymore.
Stephen K
I have to say that I’m glad to see these letters as well. I don’t know if they’ll amount to anything, but I’m glad to see Craftsman losing the reputation that they haven’t been earning for sometime now. I’ve chocked Craftsman up as a waste of my time and money for quite a while and I hate that they’re still talked about as the best and made in the USA when they’re neither. Their reputation for being an American product is so wide reaching that it’s even made it into pop culture, for example, in Toby Keith’s “Made in America”.
On the positive side, maybe it will open the door for a different company to fill the gap in high-quality, American tools that Craftsman’s left.
Harry
Yes, it’s sad to see the end of an era. Think of all the projects done over the country, through the years with US made Craftsman tools. From hot rods, to room additions much of America was built with Craftsman tools made in America. However, it’s a new world now. Many people choose not to work with their hands, build anything, or get dirty for that matter. No one really cares where a product is made. Hell, most people prefer foriegn cars to those with US nameplates. Perhaps the demise of US made Craftsman is our own doing. Did the quest for pennies on the piece tool set pricing go too far? Did many people’s switch to Harbor Freight do the deed? Did all those people replacing buckets of flea market purchased tools under warranty break the bank? or was it greed?
Who knows, what is certain though is that it’s the end of an era. Craftsman tools may not have been the best but, they got the job done for the most part. They may continue to get the job done but, it won’t be the same without those three letters USA stamped on each tool.
C.J.
I’d bet a “Hamilton” that Harry’s last name is “Epstein”! The whole sad Sears “Craftsman” story could not have been better stated.
John
To whom it may concern at Sears/Craftsman:
There is probably more Craftsman merchandise in toolboxes around America than any other brand. Why? Because for many decades they were the best made and offered at the best price. The warrenty was rock solid.
I personally have two boxes filled with Craftsman tools, purchased mostly from the mid 70’s thru the latter part of the 80’s. Over the years the only things that ever broke were two flat tip screwdrivers that where being used as pry bars instead of screwdrivers. No broken rachets,sockets,wrenches or anything else. Pretty impressive in my book. Would the same hold true if I were out trying to start a tool collection today? If I were to break one of my tools tomorrow would that mean a replacement of much lessser value? Yes, I guess that is just the way things have become.
Thanks Stuey for the chance to vent. Probably won’t change anything but worth the effort anyway.
Ken
Ah Craftsman, what happened? What in the world happened to you? Seemingly eions ago, there was a time when a great majority of all Craftsman products were made in USA. Power tools, sockets, wrenches, accessories, drill bits, drill inserts and even other hand tools. You were the top company in terms of USA made products with the best warranty in the face of the universe had yet to see..
But time stops for no one, no matter how good the times are. Saddening as this is to say, the era of Craftsman is very close to a end. But we now live in a era we rather pay others to do work for us, instead of do the work our selves, get dirty or even work with our hands. Sure, we love to talk about doing work such as that, but talking and doing are polar opposites.
I’ve noticed (and have later just accepted) most people don’t care where their products are made. Will I truly understand that? Probably not, even though I relatively young. I chalk it up what used to a common phrase of “it’s their money, not mine”. But a part of me sometimes wonders why people don’t care as much or even at all with some people. Our founding fathers would likely be rolling in their graves if they saw what became of society today.
But, even though the Sears I once knew is virtually gone these days, it’s not all their fault. Some of the fault does belong with the consumers these days. As some as mentioned don’t even care about the country of origin and only look at the price. Now fair enough, I can understand that perfectly, but at same time, considering the information is printed on any product that is sold anywhere in the world.
Shops such as Harbor Freight sell their items cheaply and from personal experience, I’ve had nothing but problems with all their products. They may be cheap, but they are cheap for a reason and for the last 30+ years that has always been the case.
People abusing the Craftsman guarantee didn’t help matters either. Perhaps if that was what caused the down fall with Craftsman. Often times with flea markets, auction sites, garage sales, you could only imagine the thousands of dollars Craftsman lost with these tools. 20-30 years ago, if Craftman had completely re-written their policy with tool warranties and the overall return policy, there is a chance that might have saved Craftsman. However, at that time, Sears wasn’t in as much trouble as they are in today.
Frankly, if tomorrow morning, if Sears eliminated the entire Craftsman lifetime warranty and any kind of warranty, I wouldn’t mind that if that meant they would bring back USA tools and jobs. Granted, this would ultimately likely blow up in Sears face and this would be the end of Craftsman, this might actually happen in the very near future.
But Sears/Craftsman or really ANY tool company, I will never buy a Made in China tool. If I wanted a Made in China tool, I’d go to Harbor Freight knowing full well the item I buy likely won’t outlast me, let alone work probably. Sears, you can keep you Max Access, Evol or any that is more or less the same as those. Personally, in a alternative world, I would love just to see those items be either thrown away or some how recycled.
Life is WAY too short to have cheap, unreliable tools. Are all my tools made in USA? Bluntly put, no. But if it’s not USA made, it’s from Germany, Japan, Canada etc. If I only bought USA items only, I would eventually lose my mind and live in a tent likely (if tents are even made in USA anymore.)
Point is Craftsman, you were once the best company. You had such nicely designed stores, mostly USA made products and even for a time, knowledgeable employees. Seeing what you today is just heart breaking. I realize the world I knew as a youth and world of today aren’t the same and in fact are very different, but it’s similar with Black and Decker Stanley, Dewalt, Snap On, Makita, Milwaukee and even Porter Cable. They all at one point made items in USA. However Craftsman selling point of the past was that there products were made in USA.
If I were to ask a person that saw Craftsman during the 1950’s, 1960’s or even 1970’s and what would come to mind, they would likely state “products proudly made 100% in the United States of America.” Now flash forward to 2012 and the connotation with Craftsman is “Cheaply made in China, with the old Craftsman prices.”
Considering that more than 80% of Craftsman products are no longer made in USA, I wonder when the day will come that Sears outsources ALL of Craftsman products and Sears just becomes a more expensive Harbor Freight? That day likely will come in my generation, likely sooner than later. I miss the old Craftsman, but as they are right now, the Craftsman I knew are now just memories.
Chad
What happened was excessive EPA regulations, employee benefit laws and stifling taxes on American manufacturing companies. All sound like well needed items but collectively they just hand over the manufacturing to a country that has none of the above.
al
[Redacted] first off, corporate tax rates are at an all time low ,epa has become very corporate friendly,& workers wages & benefits have stagnated the past 30 years, while productivity & profit have risen . what has happened is corporate greed & insane trade policies ,plain & simple. its pretty hard to compete with outsourced slave labor. lets not let America become a third world country!!!!!
Stuart
No politics, no personal attacks.
Even if the EPA is corporate friendly, they banned the use of certain chemicals that can make certain production steps, such as chrome plating, more complex and costly to do here.
I don’t think that outsourcing of tool production can just be blamed on individual factors such as cheap labor or lax environmental and health regulations.
al
I apologize if my post was to personal, I don’t however apologize for being political, what’s happening to this country is a political reality, now I’m not informed at this time about the chemical bans you speak of for chrome plating etc. though I will look into it, it does remind of the ban on leaded gas & paint, a big inconvenience for many people at the time (including myself as I have owned many older vehicles) but we get over it and life goes on.
all that being said, there are still American tool companies proudly making tools in the u.s. ( Klein & channellock for example). if an American legend like craftsman moves its manufacturing facilities overseas, its strictly for profit.
global-citizen
You are exactly right Chad.. It’s not anything other than our own overly burdensome government regulations, think of it like the companies that dare to operate here are the corner mom and pop store in a Italian neighborhood controlled by the mob.. The pay up or get punished… The company or corner store in the Italian neighborhood end up operating for the sole purpose to kick up to uncle Pauly, or Uncle Sam in the governments case… What would you do???
Yes, that’s right… You would shut down and relocate to a different neighborhood, if you were lucky enough to make it out alive…. You would ship your manufacturing to another country that doesn’t hold you up at gun point… You might even move the whole family to get away from the oppressors… In a companies case, they might move the headquarters and main business too…
harlan deike
i have been scooping up craftsman more than ever. why? because i have been picking up clearanced tools for my kids and i that are us made and disapppearing. i could give two shits about the warranty as it looks like any replacements will be china junk. i don’t care, old cman was pretty damn durable and i doubt i will have may issues. i will not by the the new china garbage.
oh by the way, much of the the stuff is nos from the secondary market.
sears is screwing the pooch bigtime with craftsman.
Ross
I personally just wish Sears would answer emails (without marketing fluff or corporate nonsense) and just be flat out truthful for once. Just once in my life time I would like to hear the REAL reason why Sears won’t let their employees tell the customer the country of origin right off the bat in person and via email, phone. As a fully grown man, I don’t like having my questions dodged, ignored or flat out being lied to. If the product isn’t made in US, my word JUST SAY SO. The world will not end, I won’t buy any tool that is made in China, but Sears likely knows there will also be people that don’t seem to look at that information anyway.
Honesty and integrity, these used to be common place not only in Sears, but other businesses for a time as well. When did it ever become okay to blatantly not give a darn Sears? I imagine the original CEO of this company would be ashamed if he saw what became of his company. Probably embarrassed as well.
Jerry
To sum it up, if the Craftsman tools I need, are now made in China, there is no reason for me to not go to Home Depot, and get a Husky tool, of similar quality for a lower price. I have gotten a few imported Craftsman tools, not knowing they were imported, when I got them, but during use, noticed some had a ‘cheaper’ feel to them, and looked, and saw no USA markings on them. In fact, no markings on the tool itself, but during my next visit to Sears, the packaging said ‘China’. In my opinion, the Husky tools I have seen in Home Depot, for less, are of equal quality to the Chinese Craftsmans.
On a side note, I noticed that Menards, of all places, is carrying more and more ‘Made in USA’ tools, with a lifetime warranty. Had I known that, I might have gotten my 1/4 drive socket set there.
Joe
All I can say is vote
Admin note: your comments are appreciated, but please keep them focused on the subject of Sears, Craftsman, tools. Your other comment was strictly political and as such was removed.
Shelldon
I remember recently going to Sears and actually looking at their made in USA sockets. These sockets should be well built right, American made right? So I bought a 4mm socket that was made in USA thinking this would be a great product.
Boy was I wrong. Not only were the hex edges completely rounded off, the socket was slightly rusted inside, the chrome finish chipped only after two uses and worst of all this wasn’t a cheap item. So I went to Sears and returned this, only to find out that none of the employees (even the manager for crying out loud) seemed to care in the slightest. Sure I received all my money back, but the service was very lackluster. One week later, I noticed that instead of sending back this item to a Craftsman Factory or what not, they put this right back on the shelf despite the fact I listed the issues with the product.
Sears, while I am you haven’t outsourced all your products yet, I’ve had this same issue with your drill bits (some are still made in USA) drill insert screwdriver bits, precision tools and now your sockets. I would like to see more products made in USA from Sears, but how about QUALITY products made in USA first?
With your employees, I realize that that they are corporate cogs and probably rather deal with a young college aged woman rather than a relatively young grown man like myself. But remember Sears, I spent a great deal of money (in the hundreds likely)with you over the years and have never been the jerk customer. I doubt the younger generation would spend as much, as some of the younger generation doesn’t really seem to be interested in doing manual work themselves, building items themselves or even getting dirty either.
Stuart
Side note – when Lowes/Kobalt switched from USA-made mechanics tools – presumably all made by Danaher – to imported tools, several insiders claimed that a major motivation was to offer better quality products. I’ve heard a number of complaints of Kobalt’s previous generation of wrenches and sockets. Now, the tools are no longer sourced from a USA manufacturer, but they do seem to be of higher quality.
I don’t have much love for Craftsman sockets, but I don’t think any other USA socket maker can match the same price-per-socket as Craftsman does in their sets.
Regardless of all that, rust on a brand new socket is unacceptable. I’ve seen other quality control issues in the last year or so – chipped chrome on wrenches, super-tight pliers, a magnetic bit driver which lost its magnet on the first use. These were USA-made tools, and I assumed they were isolated issues.
Andrew Burke
Stuart, I agree with the poor quality of Craftsman sockets. My recent brand of choice has become GearWrench. I purchased a basic socket set from them and I am very impressed with the quality. Normally I will not buy imported tools but I was taken back by the look and feel of this set. Also they did not try to hide C.O.O. unlike Craftsman. I guess what really bothers me about Sears having the tools made in China is that they try to hide the fact. They will learn soon enough that a company can not stand on its past reputation when it’s current product is making a new one.
Shelldon
Yet though, the Craftsman Industrial 4mm deep socket I own, isn’t rounded out, has not chipped even after 20 uses, is completely rust free, scratch free and finish hasn’t faded either. This was significantly cheaper item as well, but still made in USA.
When I told the manager about the rust, he essentially just brushed me off in a way that rather insulting. As if he was trying to say “Get lost and leave me alone.”
I’ll say this much, if I want a USA socket, I certainly won’t buy it from Sears/Craftsman. Maybe through Graginer with Craftsman Industrial, but I rather buy Proto sockets (as they are USA made) than to support Craftsman these days. Heck my Wiha 4mm socket is even better than Craftsman socket and that product is made in Germany.
I can assure your Mr. Stuart, this isn’t a isolated matter.
Matt J.
Craftsman used to be my go-to brand for mechanics tools and hand tools. I was never really a fan of their power tools, even in the pre-China era, but their sockets, wrenches, etc. combined with the fantastic warranty made them a no-brainer choice. The tools weren’t snap-on or s-k, but they were a much better choice over the big-box brands (or HF, heaven forbid).
Fast forward 5 years or so and I find myself buying almost exclusively Kobalt tools…they have the quality (or better) and warranty of the old Craftsman stuff, more knowledgeable staff, and to top it off I’m usually there anyway. It’s just more convenient for a better product. I realize that Kobalt has outsourced a fair chunk of their inventory as well, but I have to say that while I don’t approve of this, for the price I understand it. And unlike Craftsman, they haven’t let the quality drop at all. For some of my most commonly used tools, I have been spending more to go with S-K sockets and wrenches, but a majority of my hand tools are switching over to Kobalt (or a Stanley or Irwin or their subsidiaries). It’s just proving to be the smarter choice. It’s really a shame…Sears used to be worth a stop ONLY because they stocked Craftsman tools. It was worth a trip out of the way, away from a stop I’d normally make for a job to pick up tools or even just see what was new. Now, why bother?
Patrick Lucado
Great post Stuart. As a kid, there were only two kinds of tools – Japanese/Taiwan “crap” or Craftsman! There was nothing better than Craftsman, and to get anything Craftsman for Christmas was awesome! I can’t tell you how proud I was to buy my first set of Craftsman wrenches in my 20’s. I had “made it”.
I agree with other sentiments here – if the product is not going to be USA, then there is no reason for me to venture to Sears. The Lowe’s is right down the street, and the new Kobalt is super quality. Or, via the ‘net I can buy whatever USA brand I want.
Sears can still turn this around, or at least top the bleeding.
Steve
Agree sears could,but wont because they dont care anymore.I loved craftsman tools,but now with chinese garbage and sears being very picky about the warranty I just will buy tools from the auction houses where good ole USA craftsman tools are sold!
Jim
Honestly Sears, if Channellock can bring back tools/jobs that were for some time previously outsourced, so can you. Wasn’t that long ago (at least for me) that I can walk into Sears and the shelves mostly had items made in USA and contend with knowledgeable, respectable employees that demonstrated a level of respect and decorum.
Now and days, finding Craftsman USA products is quickly becoming a relic of the past, similar to VHS and vinyl disks. One would be of the opinion the employees might care that the items they sold aren’t made in USA anymore. Yet, a vast majority don’t seem to. I suppose I can’t blame them, as they probably aren’t paid enough to give a darn in today’s world, but you’d think they would at least try to pretend to with people that truly are 100% devoted to buying all American.
Frankly though, I find myself buying more from Grainger these days as at least they will politely tell you the country of origin of any product they sell, but even better, with a level of respect and decorum that used to be common place in most businesses years ago.
Yes there is more cost in creating items in the USA, but that also means providing jobs for people that could really use a job and a future. Not every American fits the stereotype and some actually would leap at a chance for work. It’s never to late to start over Sears and bring back jobs and tools back to the United States of America.
Dave Armstrong
All good points. Tim “the Toolman” Taylor would NOT be happy with these developments.
I know this isn’t the point, but can you get the V4 batteries from whoever manufactured V4 tools for Sears? (Ryobi?)
Stuart
Possibly, but I don’t know if anyone checked to see if they were compatible. I imagine a little plastic tab or notch might have been put in to prevent mix-matching of brands. Plus, the Ryobi ones won’t be priced as low as Sears was getting rid of them for.
Dave Armstrong
I see; that’s too bad.
Tk Thomson
Stuart, very good post. As a professional mechanic I was shocked to find the warranty had charged and I was asked for a receipt on a 16 year old socket. Since then I switched to husky from Home Depot. Pro point from princess auto (Canada) and Snap on of coarse. Sears lost all of my tool business. It’s a shame I still have some of the original vintage professional ratchets from the 1980’s and they are the in my opinion the best ratchets ever made. Sorry for tagging in on your v4 topic but couldn’t find where to reply directly(mobile)
Chris
I purchase tools for a large utility company and have always bought craftsman for many reasons. Over the last two decades most of my yearly budget was spent at Sears but sadly no longer. My last two tool orders have been with Klein which are more expensive but are rock solid tools (like craftsman use to be).
Craftsman – Now just a company I once did a lot of business with.
Likal
Stuart, I quit buying drill batteries years and years ago, as you can actually replace the unit yourself or have a company do that for MUCH less. All a batteries are is just cells and while doing this yourself is not that easy, there are companies such as Batteries Plus that will do this for well under the price of buying a new battery pack.
Dewalt wanted more than $200 for a new battery back for my vintage drill and I refuse to pay that price so I went to Batteries Plus and they put brand new cells in the battery back for only $45 dollars. Not only is the milliampere-hour (mAh) of these cells higher than the original cells, but I purchased cells that are 100% made in the United States of America.
Don’t pay full retail price, instead just buy brand new cells.
Joe
I just wanted to come here and say this is a well written article. I honestly never thought I would see the day when you couldn’t buy an American made Craftsman hand tool. It truly is sad, people that bought Craftsman bought it for the quality, Lifetime Warranty, and American Manufacturing. If someone wants cheap Chinese tools, every Harbor Freight Tools is full of one time use junk that is cheaper then Craftsman, why would those people pay more for Chinese Craftsman? Horrible business plan, hope it fails and they bring back the production to the US, but we all know that will never happen.
Timothy C Baird
The Craftsman name has been an American Icon for a decades. I ventured into a Sears store today and was shocked at what I saw!!! The dwindling variety of tools and much to my astonishment I seen made in china on 25-30 percent of the tools that were left. I knew in my heart that this day would come, and sadly it has arrived! Craftsman was just as good as Snapon at half the price and craftsman’s guarantee is/was legendary. The Craftsman legend is doomed if the bean counters don’t return Craftsman to what it was 4 short years ago!? I guess I personally will seek out other brands, I E, Chanalock, Cresent, Vise Grip, Allen, to name a few and basically piece together a decent tool set that is made in America, and at one time was all under the craftsman,” Roof “. Another option is, if you’re going foreign, I’d look into creating a German made tool market via a third country. { Tariffs, taxes, et cetera }. Good bye CRAFTSMAN.
Dennis
Be careful, Vise Grip and Cresent both manufacture their tools in China. I do not buy them for this very reason, and have written both to inform them of my disappointment and action. You will also need to look closely at Allen, some are made outside of the USA as well.
David Morris
When Craftsman has no more American tools they have lost me. There is nothing at Sears anymore with an electric motor that is American made. The last holdout are the mechanic’s hand tools. I will not buy a Chinese tool. (period) The last batch of sockets I bought from Sears were American but were finished poorly. The chrome is pink. What is next? Today I tried to get a replacement part for a 3/4 inch ratchet (the selector lever) and I might as well have ask about a part for a buggy whip. Can anybody help with parts for old Craftsman ratchets?
Mack
I will NEVER buy their garbage, ever again. You are better off spending more & getting a better product; you save money/trouble in the long run. I USED to use, & like, their products; but this was 20-25 years ago.
Timothy C Baird
Since I left my comment about the ” CHINESE made Craftsman tools ” I have found others who have gone the way of china. Vise Grip is now chinese, as are many other American tool Icons. And all the power tools from Craftsman to Milwaukee and all name brands in between are mostly made in china, the exceptions are vietnam, malaysia, mexico and so on. Soul Crushing! Look long and hard at that chinese made tool and think about an American worker who is now on unemployment, who most likely had his/her job for 20-30 years and think about what happens when the unemployment runs out. Think of the possibility of ” OUR ” fellow countryman losing his home, his automobile, his marriage due to financial pressure, and then to rub salt in this individuals wounds, he’s forced to work at the ” Great Wall of china Mart “. Think long and hard, as you may be next. American trade policy is in shambles, it has been for years and yes there should be trade tariffs and taxes, the Germans, Japanese, to name a few have them in place to protect their workforce. What about America? Remember the saying ” Good old American Ingenuity “, when was the last time you heard that term used? There are more Chinese in the ” middle class ” than there are Americans, hmm I wonder how that became to be? China wants it both ways as in they are still a Tyrannical Communist Government, yet capitalism is excepted, on a gargantuan scale. And now look at our government, they are equally responsible for this $600,000,000,000 trade deficit, primarily with our Chinese buddies. This website is a start, now let’s get creative and do something about it!!!!!!
t
Great Letter!!!! Back in the early 90s or late 80s sears started manufacturing hand tools in Japan. Although the Japanese had the tools down and manufacturing was as good or better than Made in USA, the customers complained and Sears brought manufacturing back. I remember having some of these hand wrenches and trading them in for made in USA as soon as they came back. Request to KMART/SEARS BRING BACK MADE IN THE USA TOOLS.
The Craftsman community is as I am Loyal to Made in the USA. Most of us are Union employed or work alongside Unions. I know that Unions take positions as buy American. I will be sure to share this (Made in China) with my present Union and my last Union. Buying American maintains quality, keeps metallurgy science in USA and keeps our economy going. If you need Made in China, Harbor Freight tools look and work as good as Made in China Craftsman tools.
Sincerely,
Aviation Mechanic, Power Generation Mechanic/Operator, Ultimate Hobbiest and car builder.
Datman
I hired a termite contractor to tent our house. He’s decent and honest but his workers are shady because when I returned, my old set of Craftsman tools were missing from my garage. I went to Sears to look at replacement and to my dismay, virtually everything I touched was made NOT in the USA. I have not replaced my tools yet and still try to get by with what I’ve got. I’m holding out hope that one day I will find, made in the USA tools again.
Kirk Holmes
I am a 54 yr old mechanical engineer who purchased his first Craftsman mechanics tool set (along with chest and cabinet) in 1981. As an anal retentive engineer, I have kept every single receipt from all of my Craftsman tool purchases since that time (1981) ……… I have purchased a total of $28,636.27 worth tools (ALL MADE IN THE U.S.A.). I had planned to continue to purchase Craftsman for family members ………… but not anymo re due to the blatant lack of loyality displayed by Sears towards its customers and its country. I will continue to bad mouth Sears Craftsman at work, home, and play (all involving the use of tool). Shame on you Sears Craftsman!!
L
You can still buy U.S.A made full polish wrenches that are supposed to be higher quality than previous Chinese made ones. If you go to sears.com and search “professional use” you’ll get a list of recently added wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, speeder bars that say PROFESSIONAL USE, but when you get them its stamped Craftsman Industrial. Also sears discontinued this 12 piece snap ring pliers that I Really wanted and now they added it back after probably 1+years but labeled with professional use (Craftsman 12PC Professional Use Ring Pliers Set). So now I plan to buy the full polish wrenches (Craftsman Industrial) which I was planning to before Until I noticed the chinese made ones (Craftsman Professional) had terrible quality control with some noticeable defects.
Hung H
Thanks for the info. Chinese product won’t earn any of my pennies.
Thanks again. Great post.
Jeffery Rowland
All I can say to Sears is this…”do you hear the flushing sound that used to be called Craftsman brand loyalty?”
IngyHere
They are “out of business” to me. For any single tool replacements I will be buying online at Ebay or demanding the cost of an entire set be refunded if I really have to go to the store. I will not accept inferior tools and be “satisfied”.
FORMER SEARS CUSTOMER
I recently had broken two flex sockets and went to the local sears only to find out that they have dumped and I mean dumped a large part of the craftsman tools that I have used every day as a mechanic since I was 13 years old. WHen I got my first job at a car dealership when I was 21 I didn’t buy a snap on set of tools, I went to sears bought the big at that time $680.00 complete tool set and a 199.00 rollaway. The snap-on guy used to bust my chops every Friday asking why I never bought anything from him. I told him look around I’m the only one that leaves here with a whole pay check, everyone else owes you money. He laughed and saaid I was right. I am 55 now and still have the roll away and most of my original tools. Shame on you sears. I knew when Kmart filed for bankruptcy and can screwed all their suppiers and came back only to buy sears we were in serious trouble. A bunch of losers running what was once the biggest catalog and tool company into the ground. I would be willing to pay a little more for USA made craftsman tools than see the jobs go to freaking china. WHen are we going to learn when the chinese are looking for their money back that we have no more jobs to pay them from???? Time for the idiots we elect to wake up and stop selling our soles for a quick buck. AND TO SEARS FOR WHO I ALWAYS BEAMED WITH PRIDE TELLING THE OTHER MECHANICS I USED CRAFTSMAN TOOLS, ADIOS LOSERS. I WOULDN’T BUY ANOTHER THING FROM YOUR STORE AND WILL LAUGH WITH PRIDE WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR DOORS. YOU MIGHT OUTSOURCE OUR JOBS BUT YOU CAN’T OUTSOURCE
PUBLIC OPINION, AND IT’S ALL BAD. A WISE MAN ONCE TOLD ME WHEN I OPENED MY FIRST BUSINESS “WORD OF MOUTH WILL EITHER MAKE YOU OR BREAK YOU AND IF YOU SCREW SOMEBODY OVER THE WORD WILL SPREAD THEN YOU’RE OUT OF BUSINESS……..”
Mike Bresler
Well said. I like the anger!
My dad introduced me to Craftsman tools when I was 16. Started buying my own a few years later, and still have some. Let’s just say Nixon was president then! Probably 75% of my hand tools tools are Craftsman, and they are stored in Craftsman storage boxes and chests.
Luckily I bought a few flex sockets a few years ago. I also have a few Snap-on tools. I especially like Snap-on’s “semi-deep” 12-point, flank-drive sockets. Not cheap, but they fill a niche and I think they are still USA-made. As K-Mart continues to bring down the Craftsman name, I will transition to better tools, as will my son. How sad. 🙁
Robert McCann
Went to sears today to replace a 3/8 drive 1/2 inch flex socket which i lost.
Guess what… They told me that craftsman no longer makes Flex sockets and to buy the universal flex that fits all sockets ..Not a good thing to tell me !
I`m done with Sears all together…Lowe`s and home depot sells all the other
item`s I need.
Mike Bresler
I just bought a couple Craftsman sockets that are made in the US. However they sure do sell a lot of junk now, like the Evolv line mentioned above. Maybe Sears thinks we’ll evolve into accepting crappy tools. It’s part of the whole “new normal” thing.
On another note, I see Craftsman items such as drill presses are identical to those sold under the Delta brand, but the Sears price is 25% higher.
Finally, they seem to be in a battle with the Lowe’s Kobalt brand to see who can introduce the most “gimmicky” and “one-size-fits-all” tools. Not sure about you guys, but as a weekend hot rod mechanic, I wouldn’t even consider using those tools.
Steve
I have purchased 100’s of dollars of craftsman tools and boxes.However now I wont be doing that because of made in china and taiwan junk.Instead of outsourcing trying reducing CEO’s ridiculus bonuses.Just cant wait till China padlocks all of our factories and says you are done.
Joe Baker
It is great to know I am not by myself on dumping Crafstman as my go to tool brand. It is no longer and NEVER will be again until/if they return to quality US made tools. No exception! I am voting with my dollars and if I have to pay a litle more for AMERICAN made products, so be it. The last straw was when I went to Sears this past weekend to buy a torque wrench. ALL Craftsman brand were made in, you guessed it, China! Craftsman is dead to me now. This is NOT about unions or overpaid CEOs, it is about a once-great tool manufacturer going the cheap route and still trying to hang on to its brand that was once known for quality and its lifetime guarantee. Sears, you better wake up or you will be going the route of Craftsman in my life. Just read the string above, you have manged to lose tried and true customers and in today’s economy, Sears needs all the customers it can get.
froze
An excellent read. I’ve been finding a lot of problems with the Craftsman tools quality with ratchets failing, and sockets breaking, sure they’ll give you a new one but what’s the point of having to run down to Sears all the time? So over the years I changed my tools, so when my last Craftsman ratchet broke I instead bought a SnapOn; yeah, it cost more but it’s a very rugged and nice looking ratchet. I looked at Kobalt and Husky but didn’t like the quality, and I didn’t want the ratchet to fail while using it so that’s why I went with SnapOn. And since I can’t seem to find good standard sockets from anyone anymore, and I don’t want to spend the money to keep buying SnapOn products nor do I relish the idea of running back to a store to get a replacement socket every time one breaks, so I decided to slowly switch over to impact resistant sockets instead as my other standard ones fail. The impact resistant sockets are extremely tough and have not had one fail yet, and I get the cheapest ones I can find which is from Harbor Freight! The Harbor Freight sockets have a lifetime warranty and no receipt is required just like Sears. Eventually I do get the broken standard sockets replaced under the warranty because the warranty is there, so I put those sockets in my junk tool box to be used in case of emergency, or save them till I get a complete set and sell them if I find I never use them. I don’t like the idea of not buying American made tools myself, but there are none sold where I live unless I go with SnapOn or Mac which I can’t afford. When I do need tools other then sockets I keep my eye open for USA made stuff like Channellock etc.
Frank
I started purchasing Craftsman Tools in the early 70’s. I still have and use all of them. Two years ago I purchased two 1/2″ drive deep impact socket sets for $90, one metric and one standard. Last week I was in Sears and found the Craftsman impact deep sockets at the same price, $90, and made in China. I have found China made tools to be of inferior quality to US made tools. Why pay Sears $90 for a set of sockets when I can get similar quality tools at Harbor Freight for $20?
Tom
Has anyone responded from Sears over this outsourcing? I’d like to have an explanation rather than a standard from letter blow off reply.
Whats the posibility of the industrial line being made through sears.com since at the moment that line in made in the USA
Stuart
Sears and Craftsman’s response has often been that their tools must pass stringent testing regardless of where they’re made. This is to suggest that import tools must meet or exceed the performance of tools previously made in the USA.
However, there’s a lot more to it since designs have been modified. Over at the Garage Journal forum there is a lot of detestment for the new imported “lobster claw” wrenches that are a lot thicker and bulkier than the same wrenches of USA origin.
There are a lot of new “Craftsman Professional Use” hand tools currently available via Sears.com, which seem to be comparable to the Craftsman industrial tools. These tools could also be “new old stock” of the previous generation of USA-made mechanics tools.
I have yet to find out of the shift to overseas manufacturing was prompted by Danaher/Apex Tool Group, or if it was Craftsman and Sears’ idea. Not that it matters.
When I inquired about future availability of USA-made tools, I was told that the industrial and professional-use lines will continue to be made in the USA.
Dennis
I asked Crescent why they moved their famous adjustable wrench manufacturing to China and here is their response (excerpt): “Unfortunately in some cases the markets and our retailers dictate some changes that we are driven to make.”
It seems to me, reading between the lines, that certain retailers don’t want to have Made in USA competing with their not made in USA brand.
Stuart
Honestly, USA-made Crescent wrenches weren’t all that good. I have a 10″ model that has to be exercised for a few minutes before every use.
I have heard from others that Crescent will produce two lines of adjustable wrenches – some overseas for retail sales, and others in the USA for industrial sales.
It’s not that retailers don’t want to have Made in USA competing with their other brands, but that they might want different pricing tiers.
For example, Home Depot now carries a line of Dewalt adjustable wrenches and might have wanted to buy and resell Crescents at lower price points.
If Home Depot is Crescent’s largest mover of adjustable wrenches, then that’s a big incentive for them to cut production costs.
For what it’s worth, I’ve been pleased with some of the other outsourced Cooper/Crescent tools I’ve tried.
Joanne Blake
This is BS. Anyone can tell you this is not true. Chinese made “anything” is a total ripoff. Try a Chinese made light bulb, Chinese made electrical tape, or a Chinese made Craftman tool. They are cheaply made inferior ripoffs as are the brains of the Sears executives who thought this sham would be a good idea.
Tom
Thanks for the info Stuart
I’ve seen the new craftsman made in china raised panel wrenches. They remind me of some vintage wrenches I have made I guess before world war 2. Not sure how well the new stuff will perform though.
As far as Garage journal, checked out that site a year or so and gave up on it. As an Asian-American I found way to many racial slurs and comments that were repulsive and uncalled for. The sad thing is the administrators seem to be content with that sort of commentary.
I do understand the displeasure with all of the overseas production, but why all of the bigotry over there? I’ve served 18 years in the USMC in EOD with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan so I have a pretty thick skin
Stuart
The frequent GJ anti-import comments are typically aimed at countries in generalization and not individuals, but I do know exactly what you’re talking about.
Many of the community members are blue collar workers who are passionate about the issue, and they speak their minds. I assume most don’t intend to say offensive or hurtful things, but some of the members are definitely bigoted if not outright racist.
I’ve been spending less time there myself, but there are definitely still worthwhile discussions if you can look past the negative mob rhetoric.
The admins don’t stand for personal attacks or offensive content at GJ at all, but they also don’t read through every post and don’t know there’s a problem unless someone “reports” an offending post. Here, I read through each and every comment, but that’s more to answer questions and appreciate others’ insight and opinions than to moderate. Offensive content is pretty rare here.
George
I no longer buy Craftsman tools. The made in USA quality is gone. I now buy my Chineese made tools at Harbor freight.
Ramon
ok, so i just bought a 540 piece tool set (for the garage) and a 255 piece tool set (for the car), in response to all this news about not being USA made i spent most the day yesterday looking at each piece (taking inventory) and everyone of them still says “Made In USA” …. did i get lucky? the only thing i saw odd was that a few said “Forged In USA” what is the difference if any?
john gass
What a let down craftsmen has become . One of the main reasons I bought craftsman hand tools is because they said MADE IN USA on them. Each time i shop at sears if find fewer domestically made tools. After many years of loyalty to craftsmen tools, I will be looking elsewhere. I can,t help feeling like I lost a trusted friend.
David Elsberry
I gave up on Craftsman when I saw that their stuff was beginning to slowly trickle in from overseas. I was concerned when they changed their sourcing contract to purchase from Danaher. Not that there’s anything wrong with Danaher’s professional US made stuff, but some of their tools are sourced from China, and they are basically just a large tool holding company making everything from professional level tools to dime store junk.
Even when I heard that Craftsman tools were starting to be made in China I had to go to the store and see the labels to believe it.
My intent was to hand down my tools to my son eventually, but since he can’t even go buy a decent set of American made reasonably priced tools now, we’ve developed a community tool approach here at the house. I am slowly replacing all my old Craftsman tools with quality used American made tools from companies that I can warranty these used tools and get an American made replacement. He will have a good set of American made tools when I’m gone. In the mean time, he will have a good set of American made Craftsman, and hopefully by the time they break, he will have all my tools and won’t ever need anything from Sears.
Sears are you listening? I tell everyone who will listen that your tools are now trash and not to waste your money on them.
Robert Haas
The real issue here is whether or not Craftsman branded tools produced overseas are equal in quality to tools formerly produced in the United States. Until I see scientific test results I will withold judgement. And until that time I have to rely on Sear’s promise to hold any vendor to Craftsmans quality standards. To my knowledge, Sears has never produced a single tool, but, rather contracted with various manufacturers throughout the entire history of Craftsman production. I have been purchasing Craftsman tools since 1967, and there have been many periods in the past when selected tools were produced in Japan, Taiwan, France, Italy, England and Germany, to name a few. Sometimes, I was disappointed to see a foreign country’s name stamped on a tool, and they are a small percentage of my Craftsman tools, but, the only tools I ever managed to break, were made in the United States. The chrome has not come off any of my Craftsman made in Taiwan 3/4″ drive sockets, but, is has peeled on numerous 3/8″ drive sockets made in Massachusetts. Any of them can still turn a bolt without slipping. That’s all that really matters, they do the job.
What has Sears promised me over the last 45 years? They promised and still do, to replace, with only a very few exclusions, any Craftsman branded tool for any reason what so ever. They don’t promise that the part number tool I bought will still be available. So far, I have always received a functional equivalent, often better than what I bought.
For whatever reasons, production mostly returned to the United States, until recent times. Perhaps, current overseas production will eventually return too. I suspect that will depend greatly upon the ability of American tool manufacturers to be competitive, or, the inability of overseas manufacturers to achieve acceptable quality standards.
Now, who is the targeted customer? Certainly not the professional mechanic, or else Craftsman tool trucks would have long been part of the landscape, just like Snap On, Mac, and Matco tool trucks are today. I’m guessing, but, it appears it is the home owner, and the do-it-yourselfer. In other words generally, someone who is trying to get the job done as economically as possible. Is that customer going to buy a Snap On 3/8 drive ratchet for $99.95 and a socket set for $155.00 (actual prices from their online catalog) to put together a barbecue grill or replace the brake pads on their car? I think not. This customer is more likely to pick up the tools needed while at the big box home improvement store, or the local discount auto parts store. You will be hard pressed to find any tool that is made in the United States in those stores. I have looked myself most anytime I happened to be in one, and it’s been that way long before ‘Made in China’ appeared on the shelf in the Sears tool department.
So, that being said, Sear’s, and Craftsman’s competition appears to be the other national big box stores and discount auto parts stores, not the Snap On’s or Mac’s of the high end tool world.
Until consumers reject tools from those outlets with the same vehemence expressed about Craftsman tools in the above posts, I don’t see how production will return to the U.S. anytime soon. In other words, vote with your wallet.
However, I seriously doubt everyone who needs a tool will jump over to the Snap On website and order one made dosmestically at several times the price.
Vince
I haven’t seen a MAC truck in about 20 years. The allure of owning Craftsman tools was that you could swap it out and (at least where I’m from) there’s a Sears at just about every nearby mall. You don’t have to wait for the weekly tool truck delivery.
Russ
A few points relating to the original article:
Firstly – Beware of false posts! Corporations will do this in order to counter negative – as they see it – criticism relating to their product(s) and I know this for a fact.
Secondly – If any of you are looking for logic and rationale in Sears/Kmart making this decision forget it as its reasoning is simple – It is down to a group of financial folk looking at costs and profit margin. Often times though, they seem to ignore the true value of brand loyalty and it never enters the equation. As a good example take a look at Stanley Tools- once an iconic brand, and now having closed the vast majority of their American manufacturing plants they are left trying to resurrect the Sweetheart label on of all things with products made in Mexico. While they also try to trade upon their previous lost reputation another generation and even that will be gone.
Thirdly – looking at the trades today I see a decline in the capability, quality of workmanship, and pride that goes into their craft. In the past High School graduates were willing and happy to enter into apprenticeships. Today however, these kids are all chasing college degrees and therefore the trades are left with a void and larger percentage of sub-standard apprentices. These folk don’t make the same association of the past – Good workmanship and good tools. My father who was a carpenter always instilled in me to buy the best quality tools I could afford. After all bad workman do blame their tools!
Bottom line to all this though is that Kmart/Sears are making yet another serious miss step which will inevitably lead to their demise. After all the Craftsman brand is or was all that Sears had working for them.
Stuart
I have ways of catching false comments and emails. To my knowledge there has never been anything like that submitted here.
I would also agree that there’s a decline in craftsmanship today. And yes, there are shortages of workers in some parts of the country because it has been drilled in teens and young adults that they MUST go to college to build a good life for themselves. I don’t think that tool designs are reflective of this, but it could be.
What I do know is that many people have a “Walmart mentality” where they want something that just works for as cheap as possible. These people don’t want to invest in tools for long-term or even a lifetime of use, they just want something for right now. It’s not really appropriate to really blame them either, since the mentality is in part caused by how many goods have become disposable these days.
My faith in the Craftsman has been partially restored, or at least balanced. Although I miss some of the Pro hand tool selection, I’m glad to see that they’re bringing new innovations to their power tool lines.
Garry Whitney
It is truly sad to see such an iconic brand as Craftsman slowly degrade into a shadow of its former self.
As a professional user of tools for my entire life, long enough to remember and still have PowerKraft tools in my box, I have had the chance to use all manner and brands, Craftsman was always my first choice. The ability to exercise that choice is greatly diminished these days as Sears cuts a path of destruction through the Craftsman line.
“Made in China” is only part of the issue; inventory, or the lack of, is more to the point. Neither on line or in store can you find product available to purchase. This singular issue more than country of origin accounts for the huge smile my Snap-On rep gets these days when he pulls up to the shop these days. He knows I will purchase something I was unable to find or replace at Sears.
In today’s global economy it is very difficult to “Buy American”, and while I prefer all my tools to say ” Made in the USA”, even Snap-On has some items made in China or Taiwan. So long as the quality is consummate and there is no other choice I can accept it.
Our first grandson was born this pass year and I made a point to find him his “first Craftsman” tool like I had and his father. Not a Sears, only at Kmart and made in China. I bought it anyway because I wanted my grandson to have a “Craftsman” tool.
Sears, will my great-grandson be able to have the same thing and will he be proud to have it?
Save one of the most iconic brands in America.
Who else besides me even remembers PowerKraft? Will we be saying the same thing about Craftsman in another thirty years?
Armand Graziani
I’m so happy to see so many others that feel Sears is doing themselves and us consumers who care about quality an injustice. I needed some 1/4 inch extensions. Frustrated that all I could find at Sears was MADE IN CHINA I made the purchase with a scowl on my face. The sales person asked if I needed anything else. I said that I wanted to buy some ratchets too but I would not. He asked why and I told him about the made in china thing. He said “Why do you care? If it breaks, bring it back.” I told him it wasn’t about that. It’s about Made In USA!
James
Your problem has nothing to do with how the company still stands behind their products, nor the quality, but solely with the country of origin?
Part of me wishes that Sears would revive the Craftsman Professional line as an entirely USA made line with pricing appropriate for the ‘quality’ that USA tools supposedly have. Would consumers pay twice the going rate for stuff made in the states? I highly doubt it – people would crucify Sears for the price because that is the biggest motivator for consumers nowadays.
Stuart
Some people are passionate about COO, and there’s nothing really wrong with that.
I have not checked the quality between outsourced Craftsman tools and former USA-made ones, but do know that some of the designs have been modified (such as the raised panel wrenches).
I was always under the belief that a lot of Craftsman Professional tools, such as the offset wrenches and possibly the combination wrenches, were really Armstrong tools but at lower prices. What disappoints me is knowing that if my tools ever fail, I won’t be able to replace them with equivalent products, despite the Craftsman lifetime guarantee.
Craftsman officials like to claim that they design and test their tools to high standards, regardless of where they’re made, and I believe them. I’ve had my share of problems with Craftsman tools, but not proportionally more than with other brands.
For what it’s worth, a lot of the new tool designs are quite good.
I have no problem buying imported tools if they’re priced accordingly and are well made. The problem is that some brands – but not necessarily Craftsman – cannot maintain the same level of quality and standards overseas as they have in the USA in the past.
Seth
I guess my biggest issue with the whole mess is everyone assumes anything made overseas is junk, and anything made locally is automatically put on the highest pedestal – when in reality this is not true.
Design standards, manufacturing standards, and quality control standards have more to do with it than which nationality is running the forge and buffers.
It is certainly possible to spec barely-good enough parts and have them made under contract by the lowest bidder in a factory overseas, and it is also possible to design and test appropriately and demand quality by the manufacturers. Harbor Freight (and others) go with the first approach to deliver any product at the lowest possible price. I’d like to think at least some of the companies that source from overseas go with the second approach.
Stuart
While perhaps unfair, the mentality is logical. Why do companies close down USA production in favor of overseas manufacturing? To cut costs. Lower costs is often attributed to sacrifices in parts, materials, and overall quality.
There are three things that can happen when a company shifts production overseas:
1) Quality drops
2) Quality stays the same
3) Quality improves
I have witnessed all of the above. But, as hard as I try to remain objective and believe that quality stays the same as a default mindset, my gut instinct is that quality has been lowered, until or unless proven otherwise by my own or others’ direct observations and experiences.
With Crescent’s adjustable wrenches, I like the Chinese-made ones a bit better than I do the USA-made ones.
Seth
Regarding the raised panel socket wrenches – the design change is mostly in the reversing lever and pawl. It looks like this was changed to get a larger surface area on the lever to block out more of the reversing lever opening, which is the primary way grit and dirt gets into the toothed wheel/pawl arrangement. Making that lever larger means they needed to change the forged blank so it would fit. What I can’t figure out is why craftsman reused the stock numbers instead of changing them when they changed the design.
Stuart
There is a difference in the wrenches as well, with the new one described unfavorably as “lobster claws.” There is a lot more metal in the open end wrenches, allegedly as compensation for overall lower steel strength.
Craftsman hasn’t changed model numbers over the years, possibly to make same-model warranty exchanges easier. I came across (and bought) a new much older-model raised panel ratchet on a peg at the local Sears a few years ago, and its model number is the same as the current generation one.
Since the designs aren’t too different functionally, the model number doesn’t really have to change.
L
Does anyone know why sears.com is putting almost all of their industrial tools(AKA professional use) on CLOSEOUT, some have barely been there for less than 6 months. http://bit.ly/WmTaps
Stuart
Your guess is as good as mine. I was told that there are no plans to discontinue the industrial line or shift production from USA to elsewhere, but who knows.
L
It just seems weird for them to add more industrial labeled tools in recent months and then just get rid of them from their site.
Alan
I am very disappointed to find out Craftsman tools are now made overseas and I will never buy another tool or shop at Sears again. USA made Craftsman tools was the carrot that got me in the door and I would also buy other items such as clothes, electronics and appliances. I have no reason to drive out of my way to shop at Sears and I hope you go bankrupt.
Your decision to have Craftsman tools made overseas shows me Sears management & CEO does not have a clue to why people bought Craftsman tools.
I will buy SK or Armstrong tools.
Frank
While many tools are made overseas, the point is that Craftsman is supposed to be made in USA. That’s what the premium price point is all about. I pay extra because of the country of origin. I still buy Craftsman, but only those still made in USA. If the Craftsman product I need is from China, I buy something comparable at a lower price point from a Sears competitor, because I feel if a Chinese Craftsman wrench is $30 and a comparable Harbour Freight wrench is $10, I won’t go the extra $20 for the Chinese Craftsman. I’ve paid a price premium for USA Craftsman without even giving it a thought all my life. I won’t pay that premium anymore if the basic reason for doing so is gone. Pittsburgh Pro at Harbour Freight are darn good Chinese tools and if they’re 1/3 the price of the Chinese Craftsman, I go with the Pittsburgh Pro. However, If a $10 Pittsburgh Pro tool is available in a USA Craftsman, I’ll happily and eagerly pay triple the price for the USA Craftsman. I guess what it boils down to is that I really just want what I’m paying for. Some may say Sears’ lifetime warranty has far better value than another tool’s lifetime warranty because it has Sears backing it. But really, if outsourcing of Craftsman keeps happening, how much longer will Sears really be around? How solid is that guarantee anymore? Craftsman and Kenmore are the only two things Sears has going for it as a company and I think they are playing fast and loose with their bread and butter here. I really think they are engaging in high-stakes gambling and I personally can’t see it paying off.
Stuart
Craftsman, and Sears by extension, is a leader in the hand tool market. They sell tons of tools around Father’s Day and Christmas, and throughout non-holiday seasons as well.
Many people, if not most, don’t care about where tools are made, they want value.
Chatting with a Sears associate before my local store closed a few years ago (reportedly due to property rent increases), Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches flew off the shelves. With frequent 30%-off, 40%-off, and even 50%-off deals, this is not surprise. But the USA-made ratcheting wrenches? They sat on the shelf collecting dust. Even when on sale, they just sat there.
I can’t begin to understand why Craftsman and Sears make the decisions they do. For example, Craftsman no longer makes tape measures – at all. I’m thinking that this has to do with rampant warranty abuse, but who knows.
My understanding is that Craftsman will continue to produce their industrial line of tools in the USA, which should placate customers who insist on USA-made tools. That’s not the same as USA-made tools in stock at any local Sears store, but it’s better than nothing.
Seth
I was told they dropped tape measures specifically because of rampant warranty problems. The warranty was supposed to cover the case and lock lever, but not the spring or blade The cases don’t break (they were made of metal fifteen years ago) but the blade obviously cracks over time. Crafty guys with a broken tape would just slam the tape measure on the concrete before walking into the store – full replacement.
Its a shame too – I have a 25′ craftsman tape measure with a particularly smooth auto-locking lever. The blade is finally getting a crack right at the 6′ point: the max standout for the tape before the blade gives way and falls. I’d gladly pay for a replacement blade or a replacement measure but nobody makes them the same way anymore.
Stuart
That makes sense, and it really is a shame. I really like my Craftsman 25-footer as well – the locking mechanism is smoother than any like-priced model I’ve used or tried, at least in recent memory.
Frank
“Chatting with a Sears associate before my local store closed a few years ago” says it all. I don’t go to Sears for cheap tools, I go to Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Lowes for cheap tools. I go to Sears for “heirloom” tools; stuff that lasts a lifetime that gets passed down from generation to generation. That’s what a Craftsman tool is. They’re best in class. If Craftsman is no more than a Chnese knockoff of something good, there’s Chinese knockoffs of anything anywhere at 1/3 the cost. Same thing with Levi’s. They’re now produced overseas, but the price is still the same. Maybe they’re as good as they ever were, but I’m not willing to pay that price for them anymore if I can get similar imported stuff for 1/3 the cost. I pay American to get American. If I don’t get American, I don’t pay for it, I go to a better priced similar competitor.
Frank
The reason cheap tools “fly off the shelves” during the holiday season is because uninformed purchasers are buying them for others as a gift, not because professionals rush to the store during Christmas season to buy great tools. The purchasers for gift-giving simply don’t know what they’re buying because they’re not the end-user of the tool. The recipient says “thanks honey” and either never uses it or it breaks after a couple of uses.
Dennis
I had a 5/16 straight Craftsman Professional screwdriver break on me recently, it sheared right where the shank goes into the handle. The shear appears to be a manufacturing defect (it shows no signs of abuse and I don’t recall abusing this particular screwdriver or set of screwdrivers, as they are my “best ones”).
I took it to two different Sears stores and surprise, it is not carried anymore (that specific size has been discontinued). I called around a few more Sears stores to try to find a replacement, no luck. So I called Sears, and after about one and one half hours of run around on the telephone, left specific details and a specific request to speak to someone at Sears / Craftsman about my situation. All I wanted is a replacement as Sears has promised. If they cannot do that, I want them to purchase broken screwdiver and all its similar brothers and sisters (about 9 pieces in total) back from me. Replace or money back is their promise.
I got a reply email from someone who apparently didn’t read the entirety of my message nor did they take me seriously as a long standing Sears and Craftsman customer. It was less that acceptable, as they referred me to the retail store once again and also referred me to the Craftsman warranty (that does not specifically detail my partiuclar situation and refers to the replace or money back guarantee).
On a whim, I stopped in Ace Hardware to purchase some hanger bolts. They carry the Craftsman brand. They had my 5/16 screwdriver, but would not replace my broken one since it was not purchased at Ace. Apparently Ace does warranty the Craftsman brand purchased at their store, but not others. I understand that. So I purchased it. Reasonably priced at $12.49 (and comparable to what I would expect Sears to sell it for). Now my “set” is back to being complete.
I want Craftsman / Sears to reimburse me. But alas, I have no way of speaking to someone at Sears Corporate about this (I could try the retail store again, and may, but don’t want to go out of my way to do it).
I am no longer a Sears (or any of their affilates) customer. I will never step foot in a Sears store for the rest of my life. I am telling everyone my story, as it is a sad state of affairs for a once great U.S. corporation. They have finally placed the last straw on this camel’s back and now I’m broken. I have purchased Kenmore appliances, clothing, shoes, lawn and garden, gas grills, tools, etc. from them over the years… No more.
I purchased a power washer (Troy Bilt brand) this past weekend from Lowe’s and it works like a champ. I had previously considered a Craftsman, and alas that part of my life is behind me. I will be purchasing some new appliances in the near future, and will be considering alternatives from non Sears competitors. I am now actively considering my tool alternatives and choices for the future.
Stuart
An alternative would have been for you to bring in the entire 10-piece screwdriver set to exchange for a new complete set. Or if the 5/16″ is included in a smaller set, bring in the equivalent sizes of that set. It’s a hassle, but I’ve heard of this working in cases where Sears carries tool sets but not the individual tools. Just something to keep in mind should any of your other Craftsman Pro drivers break.
Dennis
I tried that. The sets no longer have the 5/16 in it. I’ve gone way out of my way to help Sears and Craftsman satisfy me or your money back….. Its time for me to start digging out receipts and returning tools en mas.
Austin
I am a sears associate at store #2420 and i totally agree with this post but as for the tape measures we were returning 1.4 for every 1 we sold as of 2008 and they are currently in the works of developing a better tape measure that will hopefully be on the market in 2014.
Stuart
Thanks for the comment! It’s always great to hear the facts straight from retail associates. 1.4 returns for every 1 sold? Yikes! The tapes are not especially fragile, so I’m guessing a lot of the returns were naturally worn or maybe even abused.
A new better tape for 2014? Sounds good to me, although it’s disappointing that at present there are no Craftsman tapes at all on the shelves.
Frank
You cannot mathematically return 40% more than you sold, which is what you suggest (1.4 returned for every 1 sold). Possibly .14 but not 1.4.
Greg
In the latest print catalog marked 2013-2014, NEXTEC tools are not featured at all. Uh oh… I hope they aren’t doing away with them completely. I can understand if most people have already purchased the tools that they want and they might not have many ideas for newer ones (although in comparison there are many more Milwaukee M12 tools… even if the target customer is slightly different you can see Craftsman could do with some similar products). Still, I hope they are not phasing out the line.
Jon
just checked my wrench set….made in China….will be returned today
Daryl
I am one of the many who was screwed over by them not restocking the flails for the trimmer. Not only that, there customer service will not discuss or acknowledge anything about the issue. All they offer is to check for the parts or tell me to add my email for when they come back in stock. Absolutely atrocious. I am completely done with Sears/Kmart/Craftsman.
Dale Ballou
I was just browsing the net for sears craftsmen professional tool sets and was having trouble finding them on sears web sites when I came across this website and boy it says it all. My god i was wanting to purchase a complete set of craftsmen tools, expecting to pay around 2 to 3 grand for everything, but nothing is available like that anymore. And now that I found out that craftsmen is being made in the communist country of China who by the way is hell bent on our destruction by stealing all of our secrets through espionage on the net. Well forget about it Sears. You have just lost another high dollar former purchaser of your products. Go right ahead and close your doors and file chapter 11 as I will never set foot in your stores again. Looks like I’ll be looking at the likes of snap-on tools instead. But it is truly sad that some here are correct that these tools used to be a standard in the industry. And the fact that even the ones we now have in our possession can no longer even be replaced as they are no longer made nor even made in the USA is disgusting beyond all measure. China I repeat China makes nothing but junk for every country but it’s own by design. This is a fact that their leader was quoted as saying several years back. He was even gloating about it when pressed by an interviewer from his own country quoting other foreign newsmen as saying that China made poor quality products, his reply was something to the effect that he didn’t care about the lack of quality as long as it was being made for countries other than his own. I swear we are idiots for even dealing with this nation and some day we may wake up to this fact but it will be too late. But in the mean time Sears I knew ye well but as you continue to sell cheap made crap from China just like Walmart, I will continue to look elsewhere or do without as I too refuse to pay premium American prices for junk made in China!
Juan Milland
Nice article. I bought a complete set of craftsman pro pliers and another set of locking pliers (also pro). I was never a particular fan for the craftsman tools, specially the power tools, which I believe are junk regardless of being made in USA or CHINA. Having said that, their hand tools were always good to pro quality and were priced reasonably. The important thing to me never was if they were made or not in the USA, the point was the quality of the tools and the integrity of the lifetime warranty, along the continuity of their lineup of products. I now believe that Kmart/Sears just want to sell more tools than home depot which sells HUSKY china tools. They first replace all of my broken tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers and others; now they are “fixing” my ratchets in-store or exchanging them for old rusty used tools. I forgot to mention, their screwdrivers rust like an old tin bucket!
Ken Holloway
The last week of June 2013 I went to the Sears store to buy a couple replacement Craftsman sockets for ones I lost. I got the sockets, no problem, Made in USA just like the ones I lost. Three weeks later, I go back to the same store to buy some Crafstman sockets (sizes I didn’t have but need) and every socket in the store was Chinese. The store clerk asked if he could help me find something, and we got into a discussion about the Craftsman name after 85 years now being downgraded to mean nothing. I told him that if I wanted to buy Chinese sockets, I’d go to Harbor Freight and pay a Made in China price. I am not going to pay a Craftsman price for a Chinese made tool. He said oh, they still carry the lifetime warranty, & I said, yes, so do the “Pittsburgh Forge” ones at Harbor Freight and they are 1/4 the price. I didn’t buy them, told him I’d have to change brands, looking at Snap-on. He said I’ll pay more, and I said I’m willing to pay more for a Made in USA tool. He said I’m in the minority. Well, I may be, but I’ll not buy any more Craftsman unless they are Made in USA.
Rick
I am a professional Mechanic and have been for over 30years. When I began in the trades Most mechanics purchased Craftsman tools. No longer, the cheap overseas stuff it just low grade home owner stuff. The 1.-1/4 wrench now makes a better hammer than wrench because it has so much cheap steel in it. Obviously Sears is going for the Wall-mart customer. Sears suck and will likely go the way of Montgomery Wards in the next few years. Sears sucks.
vixiv
I grew up using craftsman tools. My father used them for auto repair and as a machine repairman for GM. Unfortunately the decline started in the 1980s when they switched from a replacement warranty on ratchets to a “repair or replace” then later started providing rebuild kits. Around 2003 I purchased a Craftsman ‘Professional’ cordless drill to run wiring in an expanded bedroom. I’d charge it, drill four holes, and the battery was dead. Over and over again. I returned it. The only Craftsman branded item I bought since was a lawn mower with a Honda engine purchased about three years ago. It still starts on the first pull. The previous mower, also a Craftsman, was disposed of after about 15 years of use. The pull cord broke and lack of parts and riveted assembly on the Briggs & Stratton engine made repair impossible. Fortunately a similar repair on the newer version is simple – screws were used to assemble it.
Paul
Sears policy is this in so many words:
In a lame attempt to return to profitability, we are now having our formerly made in USA tools made in China for a fraction of the cost as the American made tools. This is what we’re doing and if you don’t like it, tough! Don’t email us or send us letters. We won’t answer them. Your loyalty to Sears/Craftsman does not matter to us. If you try to return a USA made Craftsman tool for lifetime replacement, it will be replaced with a Chinese or Taiwan version not with the USA stamp on the tool. We don’t care! Craftsman tools have been reduced to imported junk and that;s the way it’s going to stay until Sears-Kmart goes away. Sorry suckers!
Joseph Bowman
Great write up, Stuart. Thanks for getting the word out. I had written Sears about this issue as well. Here is their reply:
Good Morning Joseph,
Thank you for contacting sears.com. We owe you an apology for any inconvenience that you have encountered with the items made by China.
We know that your time is valuable and we appreciate the fact you took the time to give us feedback on our performance.
The feedback that you have provided today will be taken into consideration as we continue to enhance our services to meet the needs of our customers going forward.
Sincerely,
Alex A. (jambro3)
Sears Customer Care
[email protected]
1-800-366-3028
While that is not really any kind of answer, it is nice to see someone write back. I have a request from those on this site now, as I too am disappointed in non-US made products. We’ve got a lot of experienced folks here and this might be a great place to simply list products that ARE still US-made. For example:
Wright Tools: 100% US-made, owned, forged, and sourced
Milwakee Hydraulics: 100% US-made, owned, (sourcing unknown)
Hein Werner: Mostly US-made, foreign owned, (sourcing unknown)
Gray Jacks: Mostly US-made, (unknown owner, unknown sourcing)
Proto: Mostly US-made, foreign owned (right?)
Snap-On: Mostly US-made, sourcing unknown (not sure on this)
Armstrong tools: (I don’t know much about them)
Etc….
This would help me and plenty others find the correct tools for the job. I have no where near the knowledge to write a full list of the above companies or any other ones but I’m hoping many of you can help. Along with sourcing info, maybe you could write ‘recommended’ or ‘not recommended’. Please keep it simple for us so we don’t have to filter through a bunch of opinion for the facts though.
Stuart
I started working on a filterable chart a few years ago (https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/toolguyd.com/pub?key=pMunxFbUYsH2FLncc9JCLBg), but there hasn’t been a lot of interest.
ToolGuyd has a Made in the USA portal that filters out related posts (https://toolguyd.com/category/made-in-usa/), but I have not yet built up a brand/company guide other than the spreadsheet. If there’s enough interest I will make it a higher priority. Thanks for the suggestion!
Joseph Bowman
Thanks for the fast reply, Stuart. I’ll be sure to check those out!
Tom
Unfortunately I am also done with Craftsman.
I’m 48yo and was a 100% craftsman automotive/mechanics tool guy having acquired almost their entire line of mechanics tools over the years as has my father before me. Now that I am looking for an extensive mechanics tool starter set for my son who is moving out of the house soon, I am looking elsewhere. Most likely I’ll get him Home Depot’s Husky line.
I too have seen the quality of Craftsman mechanics tools decline over the last few years and with the closing of many stores and possibly Sears/Craftsman all together I just don’t have the confidence to buy from them any longer.
There are well over a dozen of Home Depots in my county alone and I only know of two Sears stores.
It’s too bad really because I really like my older Craftsman mechanics tools.
Tom
Hank
The only way to stop overseas outsourcing is to NOT buy the product when offered. That means EVERYTHING, not just tools. We are well on our way to a 65 to 70 billion $ trade deficit with Japan this year alone. While searching this tool issue I see many of the sites’ responders who are aggravated about foreign made tools also post pictures of their foreign cars with their response. Leave Asian products on the docks.
rob the wrench
its very easy to bring sears craftsman tools back to the USA just stop all business with sears. when there china junk dont sell the powers that be will say humm i guess we got to choices close up or man up and go back to the USA. as for china tools i can get kobalt made in china at lowes for half price of craftsman made in china why would i buy craftsman? they can only do it if the customer lets them our money controls there company
Mark Paternoster
I am glad to see that there are so many responses to the no longer USA made stamp of Craftsman tools. I am only 21 and find this disturbing, I had hoped to buy all of their tools for my business and the years progressed but just as you stated before, we had a list of tools we had planned on buying only to find them discontinued or no longer made in the USA in less than 2 years. I will have to buy all my tools from Armstrong or another company that can provide a quality product and support American jobs. Really appreciate Stuart starting this article.
Dee
Sears started making Craftsman Tools in China for one reason only profit. It is short sighted of course. I bet none of the money flippers running it have ever used a wrench so they would not know the difference between MADE IN USA or China. The saving is short sighted of course. Maybe 3% of the cost but the USA made ones never break. so in the long run there are no returns for defect. Very seldom have I had to return a Craftsman hand tool that was made in the USA. But the fact is almost all of Sears sales are tied to Craftsman tools and American made ones bring people into the store their businees plan will put them out of business. By the way when it comes to hand tools Made in the USA means QUALITY! It means it is the best and will never break and that sells tools.
Joel
I have always invested a lot of money in USA made tools. This mostly has to do with pride I like to think I’m keepin someone like me a
Job. I spent most my money with craftsman but sad to say there choice to move to
China has made me choose to never spend a dime there again
Frank
The problem is that Eddie Lampert never swung a hammer for a living and never had to work on his own car. If he did, he’d know the difference. It’s a clear case of knowing nothing about how the product is used nor anything about the people that have to use them to earn a living. Crappy tools can cost you an injury. If Eddie’s suits fell apart during a board meeting, he’d know what I mean. This isn’t a nostalgia bit, it’s reality. No real professional wants this crap. Simple as that.
Roy
Failure rate is the basic defining factor in choosing tools. In the past, Craftsman hand tools could easily keep up with the so called professional tools of the day, where failure was not an option. The steel used in making Craftsman hand tools was better that the nuts and bolts they wrenched.
Forty years ago, I never returned a hand tool to Sears. They just never failed. Today, it’s almost a weekly trip. My personal choice in buying tools today is on Ebay. I go after the vintage Craftsman tools. These vintage tools are the ultimate tools made in the U.S.A. They were built to a higher standard using the best materials. Yes, they were built to last. These tools where made to do the job right and be around for tomorrow. There is no better feel in your hands than a tool made and used by our fathers and grandfathers.
Today’s tools can not compare with the tools that built America. Men like me enjoy using vintage tools knowing they will give it all. These tools give a sense of purpose. Buying these tools are a gateway of preserving the greatest generation of tools produced, and produced by the hands of the greatest generation. There’s pride in these tools. Most important, the failure rate. My history states, “there is no failure rate.” I can purchase these vintage quality tools at 30% to 50% of the new Craftsman price.
Looks like Sears put themselves out of business, as far as hand tools are concerned. They say that ignorance can be fixed, but stupid is forever. Well there Sears, you are no longer ignorant on the subject. What say you…
Debra Bandel
I don’t buy tools very often but when I do I would go to Craftsman —-because they were PROUDLY MADE IN USA—-I don’t wish to buy Made in China junk. You just lost me as a customer.
Steve Williams
Let me start off by saying ,I share the same opinion as others. I stumbled on to this site by accident. I was looking the other day for a tap wrench . I found one at a local Orchard’s Supply made by Vermont American. I couldn’t believe it was made in China. I decided not to buy it and headed to Sears.I was hoping the Craftsman would be a USA product. Sure enough the Craftsman was not only made in China but appeared to be of lesser quality than the one I passed up at Orchards.
I am disgusted with the American corporate and consumer mentality.The Walmarts ,Home Depots and others have helped to create the mentality that cheaper is better. Everytime we buy a product not made in the USA means another neighbor has lost his job to some worker overseas. If jobs were brought back to the USA unemployment would drop,tax revenues would increase and a feeling of pride for this great country would only be strengthen with each and every day. I would hope the executives at Sears would wake up ,take a chance and reap the rewards of bringing Proudly Made In The USA back to Sears and the Craftsman name.
Stuart Norman
I stopped buying tools at Sears over a year ago, when I first heard about this incident.
http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourallekiskivalley/2949051-87/brown-sears-united-penn-wrenches-wrench-bionic-technologies-dispatch-jefferson#axzz2nJFjUhsJ
Basically, Sears was buying the USA Made Bionic Wrench from Loggerhead Tools for a few years, but suddenly stopped purchasing the wrenches. Loggerhead Tools found out that Sears had suddenly started selling their own version Bionic Wrench, made in China, with just enough cosmetic differences that they could claim it was not the same.
Stuart
I discussed that issue in length last year at here and here.
Craftsman’s Max Axxes wrench was based off of a design developed in the 1950’s. Loggerhead Tools wasn’t happy that Sears ordered similarly-functioning tools from one of their OEM partners instead of them for the holiday season, and so they waged a dirty sensationalist media campaign in retaliation.
The situation is likely more complex than was publicized last year. The prior year, Sears spent a lot of money advertising the Loggerhead Bionic Wrench. Maybe they looked at their books and decided that it wasn’t financially feasible to spend so much promoting an outside-branded product that they receive smaller margins on. Or maybe it did all come down to lower labor costs leading to higher profit margins. Who knows.
Vince
In my lifetime, I’ve probably spent close to $35,000 on tools, and about 70 percent of that has gone to the Sears Craftsman brand. I feel fortunate that I was able to purchase what were mostly quality tools in the late 1980’s – early 1990’s. I’ve warrantied less than 1 percent of these tools, which get used almost every day. A few weeks ago, I busted an old 10mm -v- wrench and brought it in for a swap. Remember the old Bob Villa advertisement that they ran for years and years? “Made in America. Guaranteed for life.” Well, I just left the store with my old busted -v- wrench firmly in hand. Even though the open end is dinged up pretty bad, I’m keeping it over the Chinese replacement they offered me. All the sockets, wrenches, boxes, ratchets… made in China. Wow. What a difference a few years make. I’m going to get online tonight and buy myself a Christmas present: a new set of Made in America Armstrong metric wrenches. The old Craftsman RP -v- wrenches are getting a well-deserved break. What a shame to see what Craftsman has become. I’ve heard people over the years refer to the tools as Crapsman, but I never paid attention, because they worked and as far as I was concerned, they were the best bang for the buck and were proudly made in the USA. It’s sad what’s become of our country. With Craftsman moving production to China, I think we’ve lost a bit of our soul.
Hank
Been picking up some made in USA Craftsman tools from ebay. Was at Sears the other day and found one socket set left that was still made in USA so I grabbed it. Needed it to complete a metric set. The rest all made in China. Not much left made in USA; not many customers either. Maybe they will wake up before it’s too late.
Joseph
I am saddened by the outsourcing of Craftsman tools. The only tools I ever buy from them now are the USA stock that’s left. The reason I invested hundreds of dollars in Craftsman tools was because of Made In USA, Good Quality and old-world style Craftsmanship of the tools. Harbor Freight wrenches are nicer than the China ”Craftsman” made now. When I have bought out the remaining US stock that is left, there will be NO reason to ever go to sears again. The warranty is about meaningless to me now as well, I would rather keep a worn tool than trade it in for say, one of their crudely fashions China ratchets. By the way, my Great-Grandfather and Grandfather served in world wars 1 and 2, and I have heard that Craftsman tools where used to build some of the most widely used aircraft during the war. Three generations of my family USED to buy Craftsman tools. GOODBY SEARS.
Steve
I just find it funny that you are concerned that the Chinese can not produce a product that has not changed much in 100 years, but you are posting about it using a computer made in china.
Hank
It’s not that China or any other country for that matter can’t produce a good product, it’s that those products don’t need to be sold here destroying our indusrties and what used to be good paying and long term jobs.
Frank
I have some Craftsman tools that are well over 60 years of age that can outperform anything out there today regardless of the country of origin. This is not a debate over which country can competently “knock off” a U.S. tool. It’s a debate over an iconic brand that has a certain set of lofty expectations about it. Craftsman tools are supposed to be “made in USA, guaranteed for life.” That’s the cache of the brand. Removing the brand’s cache removes it’s value. Even if the Chinese produced a better knock-off than the original, there still would be a diminished cache to the brand. You pick up a Craftsman tool, you expect 4 things. 1) It will work. 2) You will not be injured as a result of its failure. 3) It will last a lifetime. 4) It says “Made in USA” on it. Those four things are the cache, or, if you will, the VALUE in the tool and the brand. Personally, I wouldn’t so much as TOUCH a Chinese Craftsman tool. Wouldn’t buy one, wouldn’t use one, wouldn’t even let anyone know I ever considered one. I am a consumer and I want what I want. If I don’t get what I want from Sears, I’ll get it elsewhere.
Alex
Wow, I was just researching what kind of tools I should get to start my collection and my first choice was craftsman. I grew up in my grandfather’s garage watching him work with his craftsman tools so I decided that I would buy the same American brand. I guess not! Thanks for the insight Mr. Stuart! Now I have a dilemma; what brand tools should I buy to work on my car?
’91 mustang 5.0
Stuart
It depends on your budget. If you’re looking for USA-made tools, there are still a couple of great brands out there, such as Wright and Proto. If you;re okay with imported tools, Gearwrench is quite good.
Annette
It’s more about the fact that our own American neighbors are losing valuable factory jobs which hurts the economy overall. And the poor Chinese people in those factories are overworked and under paid. It’s very sad actually. Watch DEATH BY CHINA. All for what???
Curt
I have been buying Craftsman handtools for 3o years. I recently went to Sears to buy multiple tools and they were all made in China, so I put them back on the shelf. Sears, you have lost a customer. When you bring your manufacturing back to the U.S. I will bring myself back in your store!
Jason
I am 37 years old, I’ve been buying craftsman tools since I was 15. I upgraded tool the professional line in my early 20’s . I have a huge tool box full of craftsman tool that now cannot be replaced with an equal.
Craftsman if I wanted Chinese made tools with a lifetime warranty I would have gone to harbor freight and spent thousands less. Myself and many others take great pride in owning quality American made tools.
So for now Craftsmen is dead to me. I will spend my hard earned money with Matco and the like.
And by the way, I don’t know if anyone has priced the craftsman industrial line that Granger carries , but it would be cheaper to buy snapon.
Charles Shampine
I was lucky enough to buy Craftsman tools made in America just before the off shoring began. I have since stocked up with eBay purchases of USA made Craftsman. Aside from obvious stuff like c3 batteries (too much invested already) I REFUSE to buy Chinese made tools even if they are perceived to be on par with the American equivalent. We’ve been sold out as Americans. Not just by Sears, but by Wall Street itself.
Jason
at the least if they want to move manufacturing to china keep quality the same or improve it…. every tool that is now made in china is lower quality. look at the sockets, they now have thick walls, full polish wrenches, they now have poor really fat open ends. I cant buy craftsman anymore.
Samantha
I just purchased a Craftsman LED flashlight, item number 93673, at Wal-Mart, to be used as extra light in the event my power goes out again; right now we are having another snowstorm and I needed some more flashlights. This product was made in China (no surprise there) and had no manual or any instructions as to how to insert the 3 AAA batteries, which clearly did not fit in the space provided. I knew something was wrong, so I went online and looked up reviews of this flashlight, for which I paid about $19.99. It turns out that there is supposed to be a battery holder but one was not included with the flashlight that I bought, which means that the manufacturing facility was sloppy and did not put one in. That was the only one left on the shelves, so it’s not like I can exchange it. I will be returning it to Wal-Mart and will be writing a letter to Sears. I can’t imagine why we have to manufacture everything in China. It’s absurd.
Dennis
I am glad I bought all my Craftsman tools when I did in the late 70;s, 80’s and into the 90’s. when I went to a Sears store I never thought twice about where is was made . that was one reason I paid more there tools because it was made in the U.S.A. never had to question that then. of course I have pretty much all the tools I need but if there is something I need I am not going to spend my money buying a Craftsman tool made in China . Craftsman you ruined your good name with me by going overseas.
Jimmy
I realized a few weeks ago that at least half of the craftsman tools are now made in China. What caught my attention was when I was buying a chainsaw chain and a set of wrenches there was a very angry husband who slammed a $200.00 socket set down on the desk in front of one of the cash registers and said he wanted a refund. The man at the register asked if there was a problem and the man said yes, put your glasses on and read the box! The clerk said I don’t see a problem and the man said I do, it’s made in China! The clerk said but sir, it still has the lifetime warranty that sears backs 100% forever. The man replied ” I’m sure some American factory worker that goes home to his family every day trying to make ends meet was hoping he could have a lifetime job forever!” As I was getting ready to check out with what I thought was a $60 set of American made wrenches, I looked on the case and saw “MADE IN CHINA”. I looked at the clerk and said I firmly stand with this man and I put the wrenches back on the shelf. Then I asked the clerk, now what do I do if one of my American made wrenches at home breaks and I don’t want it replaced with China junk? He said China wrenches are all we carry now, so I said when I want China wrenches I’ll go to Walmart where I can still pay a China price for wrenches.
frank
Sears needs to get its act together when it comes to tools. I’m sure they never will. But I can tell you one thing point certain, I have hundreds of Craftsman tools and every one of them says Made in USA on them. No others will enter my fold. Many other USA brands have recently though, instead of Craftsman. They could have all been Craftsman, had Craftsman still been made in USA. I’m a professional. I DO NOT USE cheaply made Chinese tools, especially with the iconic Craftsman name on them. Not going to happen.
Mike Auton
My wife bought me Craftsman hand tools in 2011, the cordless drill just broke after very light use. I called Sears to see what they would so about it, I got some guy who could not speak or understand English – his response was “Did you buy an extended warranty?” No sir – then we cannot help you. I put the phone down politely.
She bought Craftsman because her Father told her they were the best tools, maybe they were in his day, but no longer the case clearly.
I will NEVER EVER buy another Craftsman product again – period. The quality is frankly awful 🙁 I also think Sears customer service is equally bad.
Dan Durant
A lot of people on here are bothered by china made craftsman tools as well as I am. You say you are worried about American jobs. Well how many of you drive a japanese car? Yes, I am aware your jap car might be assembled in U.S.A . but most of the money goes back to japan. What kind of tennis shoes do you buy? Bottom line most people just do not care anymore. It is sad, but that is the way it is.
Frank
Durant, I have never owned a foreign car and never will, but that has nothing to do with this. The Craftsman brand is a tool. Better the tool, better the man. Users of tools are very close to their tools and have a certain set of expectations of them. We want what we want. I do not accept Chinese Craftsman tools. Never will. Why, you may ask? The price premium. There are MANY Chinese tools that are guaranteed for life that are 1/3 of the cost of Craftsman. I will happily pay a price premium for USA Craftsman tools, but not for Chinese Craftsman tools. If you make a living with your tools, you will risk injury with cheap Chinese tools. Chinese Craftsman tools are now cheaply made, yet still expensive, inferior tools. The failure rate is higher than when they were US manufactured and this is a proven fact…do the research. Why should I pay top dollar for the brand, when it’s manufactured in the same factory that makes knock-offs for 1/3 the money? Nothing against the Chinese…Chinese Pittsburg Pro tools at Harbor Freight are dam good tools at 1/3 the price of Craftsman. So, all things being equal, if Craftsman is Chinese but three times the price, why would I buy Craftsman over Harbor Freight? Shifting the manufacturing to China has diminished the quality and the cache of the brand, which, in turn, will make people consider other more favorably priced but similar quality Chinese tools. Thus, Sears has driven its customers to other, more favorably priced but comparable, tools. Had the manufacturing not been off-shored, this phenomenon would not have happened.
Mike
Very disappointed in the Craftsman Tool chests. Where did the quality go?
I purchased 3 middle Heavy duty tool chests. 2 2-drawer middle chests 37716, 1 3-drawer middle chest 37710, and 1 6-drawer top chest 37715.
3 of the 4 chests wobble! 2 of them wobble quite a bit, 1 moderately, and the 4th is just a tiny bit, and acceptable. This is a wobble where when the chest is seated, it rocks diagonally corner to corner.
The top chest has 4 things wrong with it.
1) The wobble.
2) The lid is wider on the front left, about 1/4″. It aligns in the back!
3) The same corner, front left, the metal is not aligned. It’s separated and one side is higher.
4) The same corner, front left, the corner piece was bent to short and when tack welded warped the front metal inward.
The Middle chests, 2 of them wobble so much as to be unacceptable. I can even see the misalignment by viewing the front bottom corners. Those little square holes in the corners are not the same, and the side seam that folds under the bottom visually pulls up on the bottom distorting the fold!
All 4 chests are going back to Sears tomorrow for refund I will not be getting replacements. If ONE had an issue, I would exchange it. But with 3 of the 4 having the wobble, and, the issues with the top chest… this shows me the poor quality of these chests.
The chests function great, and look like good chests. BUT, if I wanted to purchase seconds (which I would not), I would expect to pay around 1/2 the price or less.
I am so disappointed in Sears in there Craftsman line. I will NOT be able to purchase any metal Craftsman tool chests in the future!
I remember my dad always purchasing Craftsman tools, and I followed suit! They were great tools. That has changed, and I have not purchased Craftsman tools in several years.
Now, Stanley and others are better quality. I recently purchased sets of Kobalt tools, vice grips, plyers… Wow. I’m impressed. There much cheaper than Craftsman, and look to be as good of quality of what Craftsman used to be!
Too bad. Sears will most likely go the way of other big box stores like Circut City, Comp USA, and soon, Best Buy,
Kurt
I have been sorely disappointed as well. My pops owned Craftsman tools, always had the brand and Made In U.S.A. proudly stamped on everything. I am a professional mechanic now, and started out with Craftsman Professional wrenches. I recently had a 13mm break and went to get it replaced. I was handed one of the new fully polished wrenches as a replacement, and it was easy to see and feel the difference in quality. I have since brought my Craftsman set home to use around the house and bought a Snap-On set to use at work, where I have a better chance of needing a replacement.
Rick
Sears has been grossly mismanaged for at least 40 years. In the 1960’s, they had one of the top (if not the top) sales figures in the country, just behind GM. They owned Discover, a large brokerage firm (maybe Dean Witter), All State Insurance, Coldwell Banker and the Sears Tower. They have sold off their profitable businesses for years to keep the retail stores alive. There are no more profitable subsidiaries. It would be interesting to see how upper management came out.
Two friends of mine worked for Sears in the 1960’s. Jim was a credit manager at a mid sized Sears store. When he had 18 1/2 years tenure, they transferred him to small engine repair, gave him 6 day work weeks (with two, half days and a 27 mile commute). Same salary but miserable work conditions (no a/c in south texas, unusual lunch hours, etc). Another friend, George was small engine repair supervisor with 18 1/2 years experience when he was transferred to appliance sales. He got late hours and essentially a pay reduction that he couldn’t accept. Both quit before they would have qualified for a pension at 20 years. Sears outsourced many of their power tools to Black and Decker back then. B&D was one of the first American companies to figure out that if they paid Mexican wages, profitability would increase. Sears, buying cheaper didn’t care. I really can’t think of a thing that Sears management has done right. They may have been able to keep things from going down the tube, but there is no way that even good management could right the ship now.
Russ
I went to sears today to replace a major tool loss due to a tornado. As I was looking at the boxes I asked where they were made. He could not find any info on where the top of the line boxes were made. I still cant after trying for a while now.
I do not buy anything without knowing where it is from.
Snap-On????Mac???? Matco????? No wonder My nearest Sears closed a couple of Years ago (with over $100.00 of my returned special order tools)! I will not be back to sears EVER, and a have spent tens of thousands of dollars in My life there.
Bruce
I am not sure why Sears thought that having their hand tools made outside the USA was a good idea. In my opinion this is Sears’ death kneel for this simple reason: Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools. I am not promoting Kobalt Tools, because I want American Made Hand Tools (although some Kobalt Tools are made in the USA), and I look long and hard to find hand tools made in the USA; I have owned craftsman tools for as long as I can remember (30+ years) and I am willing to pay more for USA tools, but I have no confidence in Craftsman anymore. I had brand loyalty, but my loyalty to good Quality and made in the USA hand tools trumps any brand loyalty.
However, if given the choice of Craftsman (made in China tools) and Kobalt, I would take the Kobalt for the following reasons:
– There are more Lowe’s Stores than Sears Stores
– Lowe’s has better hours everyday of the week
– Kobalt Tools cost less and they feel and work just as good, plus they also have a life-time guarantee
– Lowe’s does not employ commissioned employees (unless Sears has done away with commissioned sales), which in turn usually yields better customer support.
– Sears stores have the feel of K-Mart store, the environment/lighting is lacking.
– More and more Kobalt tools are now being made in Taiwan (most Taiwan made tools are very good. The Taiwan people take pride in their tools, like we American’s take pride in our tools being made here; I know this from experience).
When it is all said and done, Lowe’s is more convenient, has a lower cost, and a better tool compared to Sears and Craftsman Tools (not made in the USA). I really think Sears thought that Brand Loyalty trumped all else, and I think they are finding out the hard way, and regretting that decision. If it were not for Craftsman (Made in USA) in years past, Sears would be out of business by now.
In all honesty, I started losing respect for Craftsman Tools when I saw them on a hook in a K-Mart Store next to a Stanley Tool.
Lynn Mayhew
Really . . . do all of you really think Sears/Craftsman are not endemic to what has been happening in america? Why bother talking about what formerly USA tools are being replaced by Chinese/Taiwan tools. Irwin bought great brands such as Quick Grip and Vise Grip and shipped production to China. Lowes/Kobalt started to advertise Made in USA tools until they received the cost returns. Crescent was bought out and now owned by Apex Tools, and production had been transferred overseas since before they bought them.
Channellock, Mayhew Tools, Wright, are but a few of the hold outs. Even Channellock’s other tool lines (Not Pliers) are imported. That said, I have a nearly complete set of Channellock pliers, adjustable, and so on. I also collect vintage Petersen/Dewitt Vise Grips. I have about 48 Made in USA Quick Grips.
Think about it, on the carpenter side, there hasn’t been a cordless power tool made in the USA in two decades. When Black & Decker bought Delta/Porter Cable/Dewalt, ALL production moved overseas. Only when a huge backlash happened did they move production of (some) UniSaws back to Jackson TN. Me, I will buy Bosch Swiss and USA made tools when I can find them. I will pay more when I have to; USA Made first, USA Assembled Second, European/Canada Made third, Mexico Fourth, Taiwan Fifth, Asia probably never, and China absolutely Never.
Back to Craftsman. All this said, Sears Holdings Corp still sells Made in the USA Craftsman tools, which are sold under the Craftsman Industrial brand. Finding a retailer is the difficult thing. The issue is, is that you will pay a premium for Craftsman Industrial.
So the value deal is to buy what you can at Sears/Kmart/Orchard/ACE, that is Made in the USA. Most Screwdrivers and Pliers are still on the hooks. I just purchased the large 540 piece set which was Made in the USA. So I am on a mission. Find and buy all USA Made Craftsman Mechanic’s tools. Yes, yes, if one day a ratchet breaks I will be forced to troll eBay for a replacement, but breakage for Made in the USA Craftsman tools are rare.
Here’s the deal right now; Sears is resetting their Tool Departments and getting away from carrying singles. Meaning single wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, etc. are marked down. So they have great clearances going on. Therefore, whatever sizes my set did not include, I am supplementing with these buys. Yes I know, feeding the beast, giving money to a corp who took away a classic. But, any USA Made Craftsman is of good quality and when on sale or clearance, are a great deal for those of us who need great deals.
I still have my Father’s Made in USA Craftsman tools, and my son will inherit those and my USA Made Craftsman tools. It will be many years, if ever, before he needs to purchase a wrench made in China.
Alan
Great write up !. my .02’s worth on this subject. first..i’m 50 years old, bought my very first mechanics set about 20 years ago ?. paid a decent price for it. I use it a lot in my field of work, and I got tired of dragging it back and forth from my truck to my shop. so two days ago I decided to make a trip to sears and buy me a new set to keep in the shop. I picked out the 165 piece set, get home..i’m sitting there looking at the outside of the plastic case..i’m looking for those famous words that has always been stamped on the case..” MADE IN USA ” !..no where on the case ??..hmmm..ok..maybe craftsman does not do that anymore ?. so I open the case..see a lot of shinny ratchets, sockets, thought..they look nice ?. until I picked on socket up out of the case !. I ran my fingers all around the socket..and my finger tip was hitting like a scratch running down it ??..hmmm..maybe it’s just this one ?..I picked out another random socket..same thing ?..how odd., I pick the 1/4 extension up, snap a socket on it..and check it for play ?..wow !!..the socket slides a whole 1/8 on the extension !!!!..not good at all !. now i’m getting upset. after I do some research , I find out that craftsman is not made in china ???..wth happened here ??????????!!!!!!. the number one tool I grew up with, my dad grew up with, his dad, and his dad before that …is now made in china ??..no freaking thank you sears !!!..this is why men and women in united states are without a job now !!..you have lost another long time tool buyer, as well as a man that bragged on how good craftsman tools are..well..make that…WERE !!!!. will I shop at harbor freight ?..I doubt it..as they sell junk just like you for a lot less !. I hate to say it sears…but in case you have not woke up, and had your coffee ??..your going down the tubes right along with all the other companies that sold usa out !. I bid you fair well craftsman, it was a long road I went down with you ?..and I have reached the end of this road..as you have destroyed all my faith in a usa made tool..that I never…NEVER ONCE DOUBTED WHERE IT WAS MADE ?..OR HOW LONG IT LASTED ?. goodbye craftsman tool name..may you R.I.P.
CockyRocky
I’m on board with pretty much everything aired here as far as the MIC Craftsman tools. I bought a modest mechanics set probably 25 years ago to do basic work on my vehicles and stuff around the house. I have added a few things here and there as I needed it. This whole MIC thing is all new to me though, and I gotta say, I’m definitely floored. As I have talked to and worked with mechanics of all sorts over the years, “the right tool for the job” was quoted by many, and in more cases than not, the right tool was a Craftsman. Which, by the way, is also why I own Craftsman. Believe me, I went through many, MANY junk Asian tool sets before I got tired of breaking tools and ponying up the cash to buy some respected, worthy, durable Craftsman tools. In light of this new information, I just spent about $100 on ebay buying up some tools I needed or have wanted. Extensions for 3/8″ and 1/2″ drives, an 18pc. SAE/metric deep well socket set and an 8 piece ratchet wrench set, all USA made.
I loved the story about the guy who was in line behind the irate fellow at the returns counter. Not only was that spot on, but absolutely priceless.
Americans are spoiled. We expect the best price on everything. Is it any wonder the US is in the shape it’s in? That coupled with a disposable mentality is pure poison. Fear not, Fellow American and US made tool lover! Now that folks can’t afford to just throw stuff away and buy new, because everyone is broke and lives paycheck to paycheck, we will need all those durable US made tools to keep things running! Ah, well… at least I’ll be able to pass down a decent set of American made tools to my son. Keep your chin up, America!
VapeTech710
I’m not sure I can comment on this subject without getting into politics, because the entire problem here is entirely political and nothing more.
There’s a lot I could say about this topic, but again, it’s all political.
Have a look at the sears website/marketplace.. it’s a fancy version of ebay with nothing but Chinese vendors.
Sears, Craftsman, and just about every other brand what was widely recognized as a USA product has been shipped overseas.
I don’t think it’s just a sears/craftsman problem, it’s a problem with America selling out to (fill in the blank).
I’m 34 years old, and I’m just glad I was able to live through a time when America was one of the greatest countries on earth. Now, well I’m not so sure about that. I’m not so sure it’s even America anymore. It seems more like a college of corporations. Just the executive offices that cash the checks though, not the jobs. The jobs are gone too. I wonder what a CEO’s long distance phone bill looks like these days. It’s gotta be quite the task running operations from across the planet.
Adam
I work at an Ace store, and we brought in all the Craftsman stuff a few years ago.
It being made in the U.S. was a major selling point, and justified the higher prices vs. the made-in-China Ace-branded tools. They sold pretty well, and I was happy having good quality tools to recommend.
Now with Craftsman being made in China as well, there’s no reason to buy it over the much cheaper Ace tools, and it’s pretty much stopped selling. Ace is countering this by discontinuing the Ace-branded tools, which is a whole different rant.
Tim
A large quantity of my Craftsman tools I purchased in the 70’s & ’80’s got stolen from me. I went straight to Sears and started buying replacements. When I got home and started putting them away I noticed that the quality of all the new tools were junk compared to the old ones. The new wrenches are the worst (they couldn’t even remove the sharp burrs on them before plating?). I have returned almost all of them and are trying to buy older used Craftsman tools to replace them. NOW I understand why the “Vintage” Craftsman tools are selling for way more than brand new ones on EBay. Tell the Craftsman boss’s for me “I hope you go out of business, and soon!” Dummy’s! Quality? What’s that?
Dave
I used to go to sears for tools,appliances, and clothes. Since Kmart took over I only shop there for Craftsman tools. Now that Craftsman is gone I don’t go to Sears. Craftsman was the tool everyone bought who couldn’t afford a tool truck habit. And you didn’t here a bunch of excuses on why it isn’t under warranty. I own4 genuine pro sets and was getting ready to expand as I will be turning wrenches full time soon. Made in China is the same no matter whose name is on it. The Craftsman name isn’t worth anymore than husky or blackhawk or SK. I think I will build a shed to keep all my american made Craftsman’s on display. Even a broken american tool is worth more to me than a China replacement. Bring back our tools or I think it will cost Kmart/sears more than they are making on Chinese junk. These company need to stop playing ball with the govt and get together to force the govt to cut taxes on companies so we can also bring back the hard working American.
tony
Lets see Kmart goes bankrupt . Kmart comes out of court and buys Sears. Yes it wasnt the other way around. It only takes one stupid head CEO to ruin a company by destroying it one change at a time like what happened to Kmart. So now we have an idiot CEO or whoever controls Sears Holdings now controlled by Kmart to systematically transform Sears into a junk store. Kind of like Obama destroying the US with illegal executive order after order.
Paul
Great write-up! But I must say there is a huge piece of information you’re missing out on. Made in the U.S. Craftsman is still around, and it’s still available from Sears…..just not their brick and mortar operations. Sears executives made (in my opinion) a brilliant move by offering tool snobs the same great, U.S. Made craftsman products through their online portal. Allowing them to compete with the other big name American tool manufactures. So they’ll save money by not having to sell 2 different lines of tools within their store retail operations. Anybody that really cares about what line of craftsman they’re getting will just have to do a little more research on their own, and shop online! Most if not all craftsman industrial products are sold on Sears.com. So Sears customers will be able to not only take advantage of their Sears account points, but can also use Sears coupons online to buy craftsman industrial tool. It’s really a win win for us tool snobs. The real news to this whole craftsman made in China story is that consumers will also need to change their buying habits in accordance to the ever changing retail sector. Sears has already followed suit…can their brand loyal customers follow? From reading this it seems like they can’t. People don’t like change and anything new, even the way we buy tools, can lead to major backlash. Just remember that in today’s market, you’re not with your grandpa in his Oldsmobile cutlass heading down to Sears to pickup that new socket set anymore. Those days are done. If you need some good craftsman stuff, download the craftsman industrial catalog, find your tool ID code, and throw it into Sears.com search bar….you might like what you see! Well maybe after 3-5 business days…. Waiting for shipping does suck.
CrashBandicoot
I used to work for Sears, before and after the Kmart merger. I was a Maintenance Tech in a couple of the warehouses. Slowly but surely you could see the outsourcing happen. Appliances were being made in Mexico (Whirlpool moved them there..), the famous red and black Craftsman toolboxes no longer were shipped in from Waterloo Industries but in a container straight off the ship from china sku after sku and the Stainless boxes started to be made in Taiwan. The writing was on the wall. This all happened under the Kmart legacy not Sears. Before Kmart the stores were better and there was more work. After Kmart took over overtime was non existent Internal equipment and building repairs and some snow removal went to deadbeat contractors, sometimes making more for less quality work then we would have ever made in overtime. Last time I heard they had managers loading trailers to the stores because it was cheaper to pay salaried work then hourly when the work volume was low. It was only a matter of time before the tools went to China also. I no longer work for them for obvious reasons finding gainful employment elsewhere. When they started drafting maintenance personnel to the floor load and unload trailers I was out. It was bad after while and the tool quality only got worse. I recently bought a flex head ratchet and it was sticky in the store as they all were on the shelf and it was almost unusable when I got home. I noticed the lettering on the handle had changed and low and behold it was made in Red China. I was crushed due to all the tools I bought over the years and now the warranty was junk. I was only gone from Sears one year and then all tools were made in China. It is what it is now.
Rob
My thoughts are to compete against the big box stores home depot / Lowes that everyone is going to trying to be the weekend warrior DIY type that have no clue about tools and want the cheapest to get the job done. I really wish Sears would bring back quality as a young kid I fell in love with the Sears craftsman brand and as I aged and became a working man I saw quality go down and lost faith in them for your other brands bringing about a very colorful toolbox from all the various brands replacing the craftsman as I go passing them along to my younger brother or young kids in the neighborhood as freebie starter tools because that’s really what they’ve become. I have to say they have great innovation these days and are in more stores making them easier to acquire but aren’t worth what they use to be. The old tools 90s and before are the best ones to grab, the 2000s get rough and useless as you go on. Now home depot husky brand and Lowes kobalt brand have the lifetime warranty which they risk because generally the people buying the brands don’t use them enough to have the need to replace them, but in all fairness there quality is rising as well and the tools work in a pinch and you can catch a few pros out there with a tool or 2 of there’s. It’s just such a shame as well as Sears not offering veterans such as my father as discount which home depot and Lowes is more than happy to do. Hopefully they will give up their greedy ways and change otherwise no kid will know Sears craftsman brand, and it’ll be a campfire story.
Bob f.
The bottom line is the USA made Craftsman tools was the MAGNET that got my wife and I into the store to buy the refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, microwave,running track, tires and numerous other things. I have thousands of dollars worth of Craftsman tools. Now I have no reason to go there. I received my first set of Craftsman tools for Christmas in 1960 when I was 13. I will not buy Chinese tools. Like its been said, Harbor Freight is cheaper and has the same warranty. If I did want a Chinese tool Id go there. So it would appear that Sears is cutting off their nose to spite their face. The main reason “men” entered your store, and you ruined it. Sears, you deserve to go out of business. I will still buy tools, but they will be Made in the USA.
Trnd
You could say my favorite brand is made in the usa. I buy made in the usa tools. I used to have everything craftsman, I was proud of the brand, everything matched. It’s a shame… it took craftsman 80 years and all they achieved was becoming a mediocre budget tool brand that blends in with numerous other manufacturers. Craftsman used to be #1. Some board of executive’s or marketing team should be really embarrassed… for instance, imagine your favorite suit maker now only sold you suits stained with feces. Or the leather seats in all BMW’s are now spotted randomly with cow sphincter’s here and there.
Russell
Sears is pretty much just flushing their company down the toilet. Really a shame that what was once a great business is being ruined by bad choices. Even the standard screwdrivers now have smaller handles – seriously. I can not believe how bad the quality on Craftsman tools is slipping. Why don’t you just close all the stores and leave the rest of us to buy 1980’s craftsman left overs (like I do with sanders and many of the other items that use to to high quality Craftsman). Making this junk now, just makes it harder for people like me to find new old stock – old screwdrivers and other basic Craftsman tools that are decent quality. When I saw that the old standard #2 Phillips screwdriver had been cheapened with a smaller handle today, it ended my going to sears and buying anything. What is the point (cheaper is not better!!!)
Richard Williams
I Agree with every comment on here but the truth of the matter is regulations,labor laws and american cost of living for the last 40 -50 years i’ve seen the cost of living increase but never the wages this is due to an out of control corrupt and evil goverment!!!And its probably just going to get worse before it ever gets better and all these maufacturers that are out sourcing are the direct result of our goverment selling us out to every third world country!!! [NO POLITICS] AS For tools their all made over seas like my MAC Replacement socket’s that i had missing from my set so i ordered them three sockets 93.00 dollars and when i got them they were pro-torq sockets made in KOREA!!!And my 4 piece Snap-on adjustable wrench set snap-on priced but made in spain wright on them!!!!!WTF????
Adam
Probably made by Irega, like the Channellock extra-wide-opening one that I have. I’d prefer US-made as well, but it’s very well built, and there’s less slop in the adjustment than my (US-made)
Craftsman one.
Paul
No joke, those Irega wrenches are some of the best adjustable wrenches I have ever laid my hands on. They are incredible! You guys can go on and on about “made in the U.S.” But I’ll tell you one thing, those made in Spain bad boys will stand up to anything made here in the states. Including top tier stuff like snap on, Mac, Proto, etc….
Stewart Morse
I am not going to say how much of a loyal customer I was to the Craftsman brand,it used to be something you did not have to think about.I just ordered large size wrenches to complete my Craftsman tool sets before they were outsourced.Well I thought wrenches were still USA made until they arrived,got burned bad,all no name China Craftsman.
I think the sellout of the Craftsman brand is different than other brands is because at one time average Joe’s like myself felt we had a win-win situation with Craftsman tools.We paid more for the tools because of the quality and warranty,Sears would keep quality high to have to replace as few as possible broken tools.Cost was kept under control because Sears was selling a very large volume to happy customers,like me,who would buy more and more.
As for why Sears and almost every other tool company in the US is outsourcing,it is because using government lobbyists they can.Not because of regulations the US government is putting on them.This influence of corporate lobbyist’s on the government and the sellout politicians has been going on at least since the eighties,with mergers and acquisitions,just to increase stock prices.So the US companies had no loyalty to the US consumer even when their economic conditions were better.
It is like a kid paying another down the block to get his parents to let him have hamburgers and chocolate cake for dinner every night.Even if if it will eventually make him sick.
Joe
I went to a Sears with a defective ratchet . The salesman said that thy did not have any that were rebuilt as that is only what they offer on returns. He said comeback later and they may have some. I told him i was about 15 miles away. i asked for the manager at which time he said the manager was busy and he would make an exception and gave me a new one, The replacement is not nearly the quality of my original. Another customer lost
Ronald E Cooper Jr
I went to sears to exchange a 13 mm wrench and to my surprise the one the sales rep brought back said China on it I told him no way I want the same as I had well this is what we sell now I told him to keep it as he started to check out the other tools I had I told him to hold on looked and found all of my new tools where made in China I told him I did not want them he ask why I told him the same thing I told a advanced auto sales man when he brought out a set of Wagner brake pads that said made in Mexico I told him to take them back and bring the whatever brand pads(wearever brand less then half the price of the price of the Wagner’s both made in Mexico) he ask me why I told him if I must buy sh-t I might as well buy cheap sh-t after telling the sears clerk this I ask him why would I pay craftsman prices for the same tools I can buy at harbor fright for a third of the price
David Tuck
The change is basically complete. K-mart/Sears enacted a slow, profit-margin-motivated, insidious process of moving all tool sourcing to overseas manufacturers in countries with reputations of poor quality (e.g., China and Taiwan). Sorry China and Taiwan, the shoe fits. If China and Taiwan were so upset about their reputation, they’d do something about it. Japan did. In post-WW2 Japan, manufacturing was of poor quality and the “Made In Japan” stamp was viewed as poorly then as “Made in China” is now. Japan did something about it and look at how the quality of their products improved since then.
Sadly, it seems almost all of Craftsman’s hand tools are now made in quality-lacking China, sometimes Taiwan (which isn’t a whole lot better). It started slowly with the shift in production of Craftsman power tools to non-US factories. Then odds and ends tools (small specialty pliers, etc.) and the encroachment continued. Then that weird “Evolv” idea came along. It is a rare thing to still find something stamped Craftsman which is US-made.
I agree with so many posters here, I will be taking my tool-buying money to other retailers. I am just hoping none of my US-made Craftsman stuff gives out because the warranty replacement product does not instill confidence.
Fortunately, I bought most of my tools when Craftsman was US made (even still have a corded Craftsman drill that is US-made – how old is THAT?!?! And it still WORKS!). Moving forward, I will be looking to brands like Proto, Armstrong, Stahlwille, Wera, Knipex, Kukko, Wiha, Bahco, to name a few – ALWAYS looking at country of origin. Sadly, few of the above are US-made, but at least they are made in countries still associated with quality products (Sweden, Germany, etc.).
Sears, you have gone to a sad place, a very sad place.
Signed,
Former Craftsman Customer
SUN BAT
Sears only cares about paying stock holders. I have USA Made Craftsman. If one breaks I will exchange it for a China One. Just to sell it in a yard sale. I coat all my tools with a seal to keep them like new. All my Craftsman and other USA tools are near 20 years old now. Still look like I just bought them. I replaced all my older tools with new in 1999-2001. I have contacted Sears many a time. Warned them if they go China they will start closing stores. I also told them to get rid of the life warranty. If you break a tool- You abused it. I would rather own USA than have any warranty. NOW, I buy at Pawn shops. Fastenal sells me my Armstrong. If I can not buy a tool USA. I just buy Harbor Freight. Although, I still buy Craftsman power tools and floor jacks. Only because I can buy cheap China, and still have a tool that will last years of hard use. Craftsman China Hand Tools are junk. I will never buy the hand tools. I’m so happy that people sell their inherited USA tools in Yard Sales.
Paul W
Not much else to add to this lengthy post but I had to “chime in” and be sure that the Sears upper level managers here my voice along with the others here.
They are floating down the river in a boat that surely will sink to the very depths of failure. I guess the attempt to move manufacturer off shore was just one of many poor decisions. It is my understanding that the CEO is determined to watch the ship sink without him aboard.
It is sad that so many followers and believers of the Craftsman line have abandoned the entire product line. I happened to walk through the local Sears during the holiday period while on a shopping spree with the wife. The tool department was like a ghost town and the few sales associates there didn’t seem to have much knowledge about anything. I purposely asked a few questions that in years past would have been met with a well qualified response.
I have not for the past four years and have no plans in the future to make another Craftsman purchase. There are other very well made tools and companies who stand behind their products and I reward them as my tool needs arise.
Happy New Year to ALL!!!
smalldog
One of my favorite craftsman professional tools was the robo pliers. I think they were model 45028. They were my dad’s who passed away in 1999. I guarded these pliers, but a kleptomaniac ‘friend’ just stole them. There are no replacements at this time. This is the last straw. She can lift my recipes, cool rocks, trinkets, dishes, belts, shampoos, and cleansers, but my robo pliers,,,,,,no.