As the title says, today I learned that Sears is still selling Craftsman tools. Shown here is a screen capture of a Craftsman 450pc set that I’m not familiar with.
Back when Stanley Black & Decker bought the Craftsman brand name from Sears, there were 2 notable clauses in the agreement.
Sears To Continue Developing, Sourcing & Selling Craftsman In All Sears Retail Channels Under Perpetual License Agreement.
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Perpetual License Allowing Sears To Continue Selling In Sears-Related Channels (Royalty-Free For 15 Years, 3% Thereafter).
There was a lawsuit at some point, presumably because Sears was saying things such as “welcome to your first destination for Craftsman,” that they had the “widest selection of Craftsman tools on the planet,” and perhaps most shockingly “Sears is the real home of the broadest assortment of Craftsman.”
I never checked to see how that resolved.
Anyway, Sears is still selling Craftsman tools.
They have the 450pc set for $230, with a purchase option, installment plan, and “lease to own” payment plan. Sears also discloses that the lease to own installment plan isn’t available in multiple US states and territories. If you’re wondering why, it’s because lease to own programs tends to be a predatory lending practice.
OR, you can “choose the price you want to pay.” Sears says you can pay $230 today, or “buy at regular price and receive a Sears gift card for 10% more than your cash savings.”
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How it works is you place the order at the regular price, email Sears with your details, and allow up to 60 days for processing.
So for this particular set, which Sears says is $550 before $320 savings, you can buy it for $230 today, or buy it for $550 and get a gift card for $320 + $32 up to 2 months from now.
At first glance, it can seem like a good deal. But really, the $230 price already seems inflated for what you get, let alone $550. It sounds to me like they just want some extra cash up front and will give you the discount in store credit, plus a small amount.
What does the 450pc set come with? 40 hex keys, 175 screwdriver bits that “give you a nice variety,” a “magnetic handle for easy nut or bit installation,” 16 combination wrenches that “let you slip in where the ratchet won’t go,” and I stopped paying attention after that.
What else is up to?
They’re promoting Dewalt tools on social media.
And lawn and garden tools. Where are the safety glasses? Those hearing protectors are not going to do much if they’re not on their ears. Is that a real tool? What’s up with that handle?
Sears says “Milwaukee.”
Hold on. ENHANCE.
That’s not Dewalt, it’s DzWALT.
The Craftsman 20V Diehard cordless power tools popped up again.
But they’re also promoting Stanley Black & Decker’s V20 cordless power tools.
Hashtag #igotitatsears
I make a lot of typos and mistakes, but how could they not see how this reads?
As an aside, Diablo Tools used the phrase “STD” in their product marketing images, instead of Std, as an abbreviation for “standard.” So every time I saw this, it stood out as “up to 50% more holes vs STD drill bits.”
The abbreviation for standard is Std. Does it really matter? No. Did I find it funny? Absolutely.
This pretty much sums up 2025, where we constantly have to ask – is this real?
As to what prompted me to take a look, I was asked what I thought about the Craftsman 450pc tool set for $219. I don’t shop at Sears anymore and think it’s best to steer clear.
Seeing the mess that’s Sears’ website, the “lease to own” part, the inflated “buy now, save later” offer, and the social media stuff – it all just made me feel a little sad.
Matthewj
I think that yellow drill is wishing you a happy Diwali.
Jeff
There are still some Sears stores open, even though hey are a shell of what they used to be.
CJQ
I thought you were wrong, but sure enough, says there’s still 8 of them…
I hadn’t a clue.
Matt_T
Today I learned Sears still exists!!
Guessing the full price now, hefty rebate later is aimed at folks spending company money. Or business owners who can expense the purchase.
Chris
I’m so bummed I never got to experience a Sears. I think I may have been in 1 but it wasn’t for tools, and that Sears is no longer there.
Bonnie
They were just a department store since sometime in the late 80s. Really not that special, despite the rose-colored glasses so many have for them.
Martin
Really? How about 1925… Sears was huge. Usually the largest store around. They had everything. Electronics, appliances, furniture, clothing, etc. and then there was the Craftsman tools and diehard batteries. Sears had Auto centers where they sold tires and batteries and did front end alignments.and brake jobs. Craftsman, Diehard, Allstate insurance, Kenmore, Coldspot, Lands End, Toughskins were all Sears brands. Oh and let’s not forget the photo studio where you could your family photo packages.
CA
They sent you a catalog? From 1977? I wish. I wish I had raided the piss out of Sears in the early 90s when I actually could afford extra stuff. I just thought Sears and Craftsman would be around forever and would continue to innovate at a fair price.
CA
My dad never owned a real socket set or any kind of organized tool box. He begged borrowed and stealed and it bothered me even as a kid knowing we couldn’t fix anything we owned. If we fixed our own stuff we could have paid ten times over for the tools it cost. So be it. My brother got his own socket set and wouldn’t let anyone touch it yet my parents paid for it. Some selfish bastards in my family. But hey, go Craftsman/Sears/ and now Quinn!
David
This is not healthy. Just let go. Sears Holdings Corporation, was purchased by ESL Investments, which formed a new company called Transformco to manage remaining assets…. and they sold the name craftsman allowing the buyer to do whatever they want to do with it. Transformco also owns diehard and kenmore.
It’s gone. Do not honor the name by buying from transformco.
Jim Felt
My mom actually worked at the original Sears when I was in HS and university and I remember getting an “employee” discount for my first actual tools.
Nearly all of them still reside in one Craftsman overweight roller box. Most all of them being WF US made. My German, Swiss and Japanese tools have their own boxes. Sentimental I guess?
fred
Growing up some of family were in the plumbing business, others worked building parts for aircraft or ships during the war. So, we always had tools – just not the ones that I needed to work on my first car (’55 Chevy). I looked at the high-chrome stuff from brands like SK, Blackhawk, Proto et. al. sold at speed shops and auto parts stores. But my budget directed me to Sears basement and Craftsman stuff made by Easco and WF. I never got a chance to compare – back then – but Craftsman was good enough.
Katie
Oh, how the mighty have fallen! I once lived in a house thatwas a craftsman style house. Now that’s not exactly related to Sears because that was a furniture movement and an architectural movement. However Sears did sell house kits. They were pretty decent. everything was pre-cut and they just delivered it to the building site. I believe those kits houses are considered better than a lot of the houses built today.
As a young adult, Sears was the go to store for anything for home improvement. They had the best paint and they had the best pants for your kids who wore out the knees. I did have some of their catalogs along the way you could pick them up at the store. Well, someone else bought up their name and they’re doing tacky things with it.
I wonder if people will be in nostalgic about Home Depot and Lowe’s when things change again
Jim Felt
In PostPortlandia those railroad car delivered Sears Houses are still fairly common in some older parts of town. Many still easily recognizable too.
Martin
I have this exact set. I got it at the Sears Home Store that was closing in Overland Park KS a few years ago for $189.. It’s a very comprehensive set. It has more sockets than the Craftsman 298 pc Lowe’s carries for $349 as well as many extensions and adapters . Even at $219 it is a good value. Sears had been making these exact sets long before they sold the craftsman name to Stanley. Sears retains the rights to make Craftsman tools until 2032. . This set has 72 tooth ratchets that are honestly about the same quality as my old USA ratchets. Sockets and wrenches are similar as well. Craftsman was never high quality…. BUT they offered a complete set of tools with a lifetime warranty. Craftsman was the originator of complet tool sets. Many different manufacturers supplied tools for Sears over the years in the USA. The new Stanley Craftsman quality ranges from the same to high quality dependent on the tool line. The V Series were super high quality and the Overdrive set is very good as well. Also keep in mind that the parts from these sets can be warrantied directly with Craftsman or at Lowe’s.
ColeTrain
Yeah what? Haven’t seen a Sears anywhere near Denver since pre COVID. Where the hell are they? Also what is that awesome tool that guy is using? a vacume, saw, angle grinder rebar cutter thingy? I want one! Lol
Greg
The Craftsman Tools sold by Sears are produced where?
Stuart
China? They moved away from USA manufacturing well before they sold the Craftsman brand to SBD for $900 million.
Buddy
Today’s craftsman products are not the same as my Grandfathers nor my father’s tools that were left to me. I’ve kept a socket set to give to my son’s as a remembrance, but I’ve sold the remaining tools and moved them on to better equipment.
CJQ
This article is a little misleading (I don’t think maliciously)
Sears is now basically just a drop shipper. They still have strong name recognition which nets their website a good amount of unique and return hits. If you look into it, most items will list who they actual seller is. They’re just taking advantage of that said name recognition to basically “middle-man” retail products for probably the next 10 – 20yrs to offset some of their last quarter century’s massive losses
Secondly Sears is not offering pay later options. They are simply advertising. Zip-Klarna-PP-etc do the “lending”. Sears simply advertises by placing a link on their site for, say; Zip and zip takes you to their site to register if you aren’t already, and then the written codes use the Zip payment terms for your items if you chose to do so. Completely separate company, site, and finance backer.
Stuart
Sorry, they seem to have partnered with 3rd party payment and rent to own companies, and integrated their services into the customers’ purchase path. Those aren’t just links for customers’ convenience.
I didn’t know Sears still existed and were selling Craftsman tools. The technicalities of who owns them or how they operate doesn’t change my sentiment. Still looks like a sloppy mess to avoid.
OldDominionDIYer
Sadly, SEARS is no more, yes the name is still out there and yes, once upon a time, long, long ago, they made decent CRAFTSMAN tools and helped fuel a generation of handy men. Now as others have already very clearly mentioned they are living off of their formerly great name recognition and attempting to fool customers, and that is sad really. I own a few sets of their (now ancient) Craftsman Professional series wrenches and they’re solid tools that get the job done but are from a bygone era and are irreplaceable since attempting to get a replacement would result in receiving cheap chinese junk. Tragically Craftsman/SEARS is not the only company to lose its way and fail, it has happened quite often but perhaps the brands are not as well known. The idea that uninformed executives can sustain a product line when all they know are dollars and cents (and maybe don’t know that very well) is ludacris! We’ve seen it in the automotive industry and frankly SB&D is teetering on the brink in my opinion. They have purchased many formerly niche and high reputation brands (Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Porter Cable to name a few) and decimated these brands. If it weren’t for the R&D and Technical savvy of DeWalt, SB&D would already be in extremis in my opinion.