Stanley Black & Decker has completed their acquisition of the Craftsman tool brand, and sent us an email with some more information.
One thing to keep in mind is that Sears will also continue their own Craftsman-branded products. It’s my understanding that there will Sears’ Craftsman tools, and Stanley Black & Decker’s Craftsman tools.
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At one point there will perhaps be a cross-over. Until then, it’ll be interesting to see how the separation is made obvious to customers.
Here are some important take-aways from all the information out there right now:
Stanley Black & Decker will be localizing as much manufacturing as possible, consistent with our operating model of manufacturing as close to our customers as possible. Stanley Black & Decker will focus on U.S. manufacturing, using global materials, with the confidence that this will grow the Craftsman brand.
Yes. Craftsman branded products will continue to be covered under their existing warranties. In the immediate term, there are no changes to how you will get service regarding your warranty. For more information about this process, please call us at 888-331-4569.
We are committed to bringing Craftsman’s manufacturing back to the United States, using materials from around the world, so you can take pride in knowing that Craftsman products sold by Stanley Black & Decker will once again be Made in the USA with global materials.
Stanley Black & Decker believes that Craftsman adds to its breadth of brands and provides even more solutions to the end-user. Stanley Black & Decker also believes it can bring innovation and investment back to Craftsman, making it stronger than ever before.
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Stanley Black & Decker will begin working immediately to make Craftsman products available to more people than ever before, but this will take some time.
Okay, so…
- Emphasis on USA manufacturing
- More tools are on the way
- Craftsman tools at more stores
- No immediate change to the lifetime guarantee warranty
They’re committed to bringing “as much manufacturing as possible” to the USA. Sure, some tools will be made using global materials, and there will probably be certain tools that are simply uneconomical to make here at targeted price points. But I have faith in SBD’s pledge to Craftsman fans and former fans.
I used to buy Craftsman tools. Back when this was true:
That was in my Craftsman 2008 tool catalog.
And then the imported tools started to appear. It didn’t take long before some Craftsman Professional USA-made tools started to disappear. And then Craftsman Professional and Craftsman USA-made tools were replaced by imported versions.
Here’s a Craftsman raised panel wrench comparison from 2012.
Have you heard complaints about the “lobster claw” wrenches made overseas, with wrench ends seemingly build up with lots of extra metal to compensate for weaker strength.
I own a number of Craftsman USA-made tools purchased in the mid to late 2000’s. I wouldn’t trade any of them in for Craftsman’s current offerings, even if they broke.
Craftsman’s newer hand tools seem to have a holiday gift season focus, and their power tools have been stagnant.
Ryobi has been coming out with innovation after innovation, while Sears seems to be largely ignoring their C3 19.2V cordless power tool lineup. Their 12V Nextec tools? Stagnant for a few years now. The last time I asked about it, I was told more tools were coming, but that turned out to be a hollow promise.
I am very optimistic to see what Stanley Black & Decker can do to revitalize the brand. I want to see hand tools, power tools, tool storage – the works.
I’m excited to see what comes from this!! Who’s with me?
Erik
I find it odd that TTi makes ryobi tools and most of craftsmans 19.2v line up, some identical like the 19.2v 7-1/4 miter saw and ryobi one+ 7-1/4 miter saw, and the 18g brad nailer.
Obviously the tool line up is there for producing ryobi one+ and can easily be modified appearance/internals wise (again miter saw/brad nailer) to make 19.2v craftsman tools. For whatever reason craftsman doesn’t seem interested in releasing new tools and keeping customers.
Erik
Edit: I find it odd that craftsmans 19.2v lineup isn’t bigger given those circumstances.
BonPacific
I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some specific language in the contract between TTI and Sears about which tools they were licensing the design/components for. TTI definitely pivoted the Ryobi brand from being just another cheap tool like (back in the blue days) into something innovative. They probably don’t want to give Sears their best-selling designs, even if Sears could pay for them.
Ryan
I just tried to warranty a 6″ long 3/8″ extension here in Canada…no longer available. WTF…Craftsman is an absolute joke up here.
The yeti
I live in bc . My local sears is a ghost town . Has hardly any tools . The Sears is huge . Just no one in it
Ed
They actually had me look up what I wanted on my phone and wanted me to order it on-line and have it shipped there and come back to pick it up.
Fm2176
It’ll be nice to have an affordable Made in USA brand of tools again, but I wonder how much damage has been done with five or more years of Chinese-made Craftsman hand tools.
I too am optimistic, but also curious to see exactly where SBD takes the brand.
dave wood
I bought the majority of my craftsman tools back in the 70’s and 80’… when you were proud to own them. I have downsized my automotive work since, but my biggest problem is that over time tools disappear; especially screwdriver and pliers. I don’t care if they still come with a “lifetime warranty”. I don’t want that Chinese junk in my toolbox. Lets’s see “Proudly Made in the USA!”
Jim Felt
Craigslist is an excellent source for pristine old stock Craftsman tool finds. And you can easily text the ad placer to ask them to actually look at the individual tools for the cast in “Made in USA” designation.
And, of course, yard/tag sales. Plus sometimes a little elbow grease.
z2w
If SBD really brings things back to USA and takes over all the warranty stuff, they’ll be replacing Chinese lobster-claws with American steel. Wild.
Nathan
I hope SBD drops Dewalt hand tools and or bostich hand tools and makes then only craftsman. That would make some sense in my mind.
Diamond Dave
I think a lot of tools are
Made because of exclusivity contracts within the tool industries. Hence TTI Ryobi, Ridgid, Milwaukee and MAKITA are exclusive to Home Depot thru contract i.e. Cannot be sold at Lowe’s so this allows SBD the ability to sprinkle their tools in every store, even Walmart. Go into a Home Depot and they will have 2-3 more space and Displays of Milwaukee than Dewalt but Dewalt will not give them the exclusivity as Dewalt is the biggest worldwide.
Mike
And Home Depot still sells more Dewalt then Milwaukee and Makita combined
Dustin
That certainly wasn’t the case when I worked there…
John Fal
That would be a wise move. I think dewalt should stick to mostly power tools, as sbd should work on keeping Bostich into being the best air tool on the market and keep their Stanley name off them!
JMG
While I can applaud the focus on developing jobs in the local market, it will be a long time before I will be able to bring myself to consider the brand to be a go to purchase option again (if ever). I have doubts that I will ever enter a Sears store in the future, and the “purchase” of the brand seems to be a confusing mess, and that does not inspire confidence in my view. I believe that it would have been more palatable if Sears had been removed from the tool production/sourcing picture altogether, but I cannot be entirely certain that I would buy anything even if they had been limited in that manner. So, all in all, I am not excited in the least about the overall prospects of the resurrection of the Craftsman brand…
KL
I’m down – bring it on!
Hang Fire
I’m cautiously optimistic. I wonder where the cutoff between Sears and B&D will be. I’m thinking stuff like Craftsman branded boots and decor will stay with Sears.
I’m thinking hardline (wrenches, ratchets and sockets) will go to B&D.
But what about the rest, like hand power tools, bench power tools, tool boxes, cabinets? If they stay Sears they’ll likely stay imported. Will they slowly transition over to B&D?
Perhaps that’s where “global components” come in. Some “made in USA with Global Components” items are ridiculous, they do little more than a final assembly and repackage the item and stamp the US Flag all over it.
I wonder what the “more stores” will be. We’ve seen Ace and K-Mart… anything else?
Typos-
“and send us an email” – sent?
“Craftsman tools are more stores” – at?
Stuart
Thanks! Can’t believe I missed those in the proofread.
John Fal
Hoping they would keep craftsman out of the marts! A tool brand can easily be cheapened.
BonPacific
I wonder if you’ll be able to use the Warranty on Sears-Craftsman to get SBD-Craftsman? What about pre-import Craftsman tools?
How they handle that warranty, and the potential losses, is going to be interesting to see.
John
How is Craftsman even remotely relevant in the world of tools at this point?
Maybe I’m biased against the brand because Klein Tools (and now, sadly, Milwaukee) is the standard in my trade.
I don’t have happy memories of watching a dad or uncle or grandpa reaching for tools stamped with that distinctive logo. I rarely shopped at KMART and Sears as a kid. I dont share in that nostalgia or that brand loyalty.
I bought the big set of ‘classic’ acetate-acrylic-ish plastic-handle Craftsman screwdrivers, and they work just fine. In use all day, every day, and they do what they’re supposed to. Sometimes I even use em to turn screws. They do ok with that, too.
I’ve got some handed-down Craftsman stuff like toolboxes and socket sets that seem to be of quite serviceable quality.
But to me, Craftsman, as a brand, reeks of mothballs and pitiful home-gamer kludge-fests, dubiously overpriced and banking on the myth that they’re still THE source of America’s tools, from the good old days when every man had a toolbox and Sears was still, you know, a viable business.
But that ain’t the case anymore. And now Stanley is going to be running the show!?
I seriously don’t know if I’m being a snob here, but I can count on one hand the tools I’d buy from Stanley and still have a few fingers left sticking up. FatMax tape measures? Oh HELL yes. Best tape measures I’ve ever owned. But Stanley hand tools are kinda…they’re what you buy for when you don’t expect to have to use that tool too often. I expect to see a Stanley 5-in-1 in the pouch of a rough carpenter, not a fitter or electrician.
Let’s just hope this aquisition means Craftsman will be more like Proto and less like Stanley.
Patrick Taylor
HERE! HERE!
Glen
I believe if they build a good quality tools they will be just fine
Joe Hanson
So if Stanley Black & Decker brings the manufacturing of sockets and wrenches back to the USA, would that mean that Craftsman sockets and wrenches would be manufactured by Proto? And whatever happened with Craftsman Industrial? I couldn’t find info on the Sears or Craftsman websites but for a time I saw sites like Summit Racing offering Craftsman Industrial wrenches.
Anthony R.
I certainly hope not, I love Proto tools, Craftsman? Not so much.
Goodnightjohnboy
This is great news if they do this %100. And what I mean by that is no imported materials whatsoever. Not even a screw or bolt. Nothing but %100 grade a American made craftsman tools. Back when tools were made right, you only had 2 brands: Stanley & Craftsman. I’m not saying that the stuff today isn’t good, but certainly not as well built as some of the tools from way back. My craftsman table saw was made in ’41 and its just as powerful as the day it was made. It will cut anything with ease. Built to be a long lasting workhorse. There was no such thing as made in the USA with global materials back in the day when craftsman was great & I hope that they stay away from it. If sbd truly wants the craftsman name to be great again, they need to do it 100. The mention of global materials on a made in USA label still looks bad. Its better than made in China, but it still lacks a certain confidence. But then again craftsman reputation has been so tarnished in the last 10+ years that I’m not sure if it’s repairable. They’re going to need to advertise the hell out of it being made in USA. Commercials, billboards, etc. You have to remember that craftsman was the biggest name in tools for a long time. Just about every household in America was using nothing but craftsman tools for over 50 years. Its gonna be impossible to retain that same dominant reputation with the offerings of some of today’s companies. But I think as long as they stay away from the global materials crap, they might be able to gain the great reputation that they once had.
Garrick
I’m not sure if “Product of the USA” means that it was made in the USA, but I do know that in Canada “Product of Canada” means that most of the cost of manufacturing has to be in Canada, which in turns means that if the packaging costs more that the product, it can make this claim, even if the product itself is made entirely in China. I have caught out on this on several occasions.
Jason
Dewalt uses made in the USA with global materials for their product origin statement. The FTC has pretty strict rules on foreign content in something made in the usa. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-made-usa-standard
Glen
that is the right way to get the market there looking for. That is to make ever thing 100% U S A steel and make quality
BJN
It’s just marketing. The split use of the Craftsman brand will mean a confused identity for the product line. Craftsman really doesn’t mean anything special to me…it’s a store brand and packaging scheme applied to a too-broad array of products. Why should I get excited about Stanley B+D coming out with a Craftsman branded line of basically to compete with themselves and play off misplaced brand loyalty?
Statler
Spoiler alert: the Sears Craftsman vs SBD Craftsman weirdness will resolve itself quickly because Sears retail stores will stop being a thing before the end of 2017.
Remember, you heard it here first!
RCW
Hardly first but true
Brian Auerbach
tools arent better based on their gps coordinates of the factory that produces them.
americans can make crap, and asia can make quality. All about the tolerances/methods you demand/pay for.
I also struggle with this “us assembly from global parts”, feels a bit like marketing lip service.
I hope they have a plan to make a superior tool, Im just not sure what that looks like… am the only one that has foreign made tools and no issues with them?
Andy
Thank you. I wish more people would accept this.
JonG
Your absolutely right on all fronts. The problem consumers see is that when brands like this outsource they downgrade every aspect of the tool, tolerances, material, molds, etc. If they required the same specs in Asia as they were in the us the tool would literally be exactly the same. They just historically decide to cheap out in all aspects giving the Asia tools a bad name. I have some gearwrench and otc tools made overseas, and, for the most part, have had good luck with them. I’ve also had many us tools that are complete junk, craftsmans typical ratchets are an example of this. On the other hand their fine tooth full polished made either place are great, I personally use the US versions to support US manufacturing, but used the Asia ones for 5+ years as a full time mechanic and never broke one. Finally found US made versions and use those, but can’t tell the difference in all honesty. Their wrenches are a different story, as are their sockets.
Mike
Ahmen!
Technology, work ethic and manufacturing skills are not unique to the US. The reason that “made in China” has a bad rep is that companies moved production there to hit the low price points that consumers demanded and the quality reflects that. I’ve traveled extensively in China and seen more manufacturing facilities than I can remember (literally); I assure you that they can build to essentially any level of quality you want as long as you’re willing to pay for it (e.g. essentially any Apple product).
I hope this portends a return to made in the USA, but I think reality is going to smack people pretty hard and fairly quickly.
Glen
I have used all kinds of tools and have broken lots of them and craftsman was the easiest to replace on question asked
Coach James
I certainly don’t know how this is going to turn out, but I’m not going to assume the worst. I hope SDB does what they say they are going to do and I will reserve judgment until I see if they are true to their word.
Jim Felt
As I once thought highly of the Craftsman brand in general decades of watering it down by Sears and now Sears Holdings I only infrequently wander in and even less frequently buy the odd USA made legacy inventory item. Mostly to avoid Nordstrom, Saks or Macy’s on my mall visits with my wife.
Sad. I know.
The few American made competitors but mostly German, Japanese, Swiss, Spanish sourced brands are my now go-to preferences.
All kinda making me sound like an old fuddyduddy.
thomas vikoren
I agree with brian auerbach – if I purchase a screwdriver and the metal is made in china but pressed into a US plastic handle that’s still (in my experience) likely to be a substandard product. If I buy a knipex pliers wrench it says: made in germany. Period. The “with global materials” jargon doesn’t impress me much. I dont care if the plastic pellets came from china. I need to see some more concrete information about what is made where. For example, if a drill is 99% usa made but uses screws made in china do they feel obligated to say “global materials”. If it’s 99% from china but has usa assembly is that “made in usa”. Need clarification
Stuart
You’re not going to get a COO breakdown for sub-components of a project. No brand does this unless the product is 100% made in the USA. I doubt that I could get straight answers about where the screws and raw materials for plastic components are sourced from.
You want superior quality USA-made screwdriver? Look at SBD’s Proto brand – https://toolguyd.com/proto-duratek-screwdrivers/ .
The last time I talked to someone about global materials, they suggested that steel was the more common component sourced from overseas. I suppose that for power tools it might be motors or control electronics.
Do you want SBD to make their own control electronics? Okay, let’s say they can do that. What about the transistors? LEDs? Resistors? IC chips? Capacitors? The encoder for the tuner or volume dial of a jobsite radio?
Some components just cannot be easily sourced from USA manufacturers, sometimes at all. If it’s manufactured here with any components that might originate outside the USA, that’s a global component.
thomas vikoren
I guess the question is how much foreign content requires the “global materials” disclaimer. Knipex tools are marked Made in Germany, and Bondhus screwdrivers “Made in USA” but maybe their handle resin is imported? I know that knipex steel is made in germany though, because it’s so darned hard and tough it’s head and shoulders above anything I’ve seen out of china.
I guess what I’d like to know is that for the example of a socket set that it’s the actual sockets that are made in USA and the case is foreign rather than the other way around. “Made in USA with global materials” is difficult to interpret with confidence.
Jon
Someone above linked an FTC pamphlet that addresses just that question. There is no direct mention of “made in the usa with global materials”, but there is this:
“A product that includes foreign components may be called “Assembled in USA” without qualification when its principal assembly takes place in the U.S. and the assembly is substantial. For the “assembly” claim to be valid, the product’s last “substantial transformation” also should have occurred in the U.S.”
John
I think Bosch does this — I’ve had two products (the 12V PS-31 and PS-41 combo pack) labelled individually (drills made in Mexico, batteries made in Mexico, charger made in China, bag made in China) and some jigsaw blade packs also labelled individually (blades made in Switzerland, case made in China).
Harry
Time will tell how things shake out. However, if the Craftsman customer continues to demand pennies on the piece set pricing, you might as well kill the brand now. I wish Stanley Craftsman the best of luck and success in their endeavors. One more thing, no more gimmick tools please.
Johnny Bright Light
When I was young, Craftsman was my go to tool.., Quality tools, works, and lasts. Now I still have all the craftsman tools I bought in the 70’s and they all work. I’m no pro, just a casual DIY. So you could say I got a bargain with these tools. Today I’m fascinated by modern tools. And some NAME BRANDS have failed to work after a few years of diy use. When I buy some tool I want more than just a few uses out of them. If sbdcraftsman can do this, I’m all for it.
Goodnightjohnboy
. ABSOLUTELY NO GLOBAL MATERIALS OR IMPORTED PARTS. If they were able to do it 50 years ago, they can do it today. There was no such thing as global materials back when craftsman was the best. The people in charge back then wouldn’t stand for anything other than %100 USA made. They just need the right people who care enough to make it happen again today. Its not gonna happen overnight. Its gonna take years. And I think sbd realizes that craftsman should be made by Americans & should have the reputation for quality it was known for. Sbd has an opportunity to do some good things if they want to save craftsman. Let’s hope that they don’t screw it up.
Stuart
As someone else said, people are quick to complain about global materials and imported products, but slow to spend more on USA-made goods.
Craftsman offered USA-made ratcheting wrenches. The Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches were cheaper and almost always on sale. My local Sears used to sell lots of Gearwrench wrenches. Over time, the same Craftsman ratcheting wrenches sat on the shelf, collecting dust. They sat there and sat there and nobody ever bought them.
In some cases, 100% USA is not possible. It just isn’t. You can’t have a 100% USA-made product if you can’t buy certain sub-components in the USA.
In other cases, it’s not economical. And I don’t mean uneconomical as in the profits wouldn’t be high enough, but uneconomical as in the retail cost would be so high that customers wouldn’t buy it. And then what? The decision becomes “Made in USA with global materials” or “not made at all.”
I’ve been a critic of “Made in USA with global materials” in the past, but I’ve learned to be more realistic.
shatter
“If they were able to do it 50 years ago, they can do it today. ”
50 years ago we were still riding down the boom from WWII, where domestic production surged and we had to manufacture everything stateside because globalism didn’t exist.
Today, 80% of US-based foundries have closed. There’s somewhere around 1800 left stateside, compared to 16,000 in China alone (not including nearby asian countries). There is no longer enough capacity stateside to manufacture durable goods like these in the quantities needed, let alone do it at the price consumers are willing to pay.
Anybody who thinks US-based manufacturing can simply “come back” is out of their mind.
Jon
Manufacturing overseas has a LOT to do with labour costs, not just materials costs!
My guess is that SBD will be producing these hand tools in an American factory because it is (or will be) a fully automated factory without a human in sight.
Jim Felt
The impossible dream. At least so far. And even Mercedes Benz with the most automated auto factory lines in their industry still has the occasional human on the line.
Snark perhaps? Or just an Isaac Asimov fan?
Stuart
There are plenty of real people at the Dewalt factory I visited.
https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-brushless-drill-building-and-factory-tour/
They looked like humans to me. Definitely not robots.
CT
I don’t think you’ll be getting two competing Craftsman lines. I think its more along the lines of Stanley taking over production of the hand and power tools while Sears still gets to use the Craftsman brand for lawnmowers, snowblowers and any thing else Stanley doesn’t produce themselves.
Gary Crompton
I hope they put some work in there 19v tools. I have all of them and at least six 19v drills. I bought all of them around $39 dollars each as I had a friend that worked in the tool department. So when they had damaged box’s I bought. I have found them extremely reliable and even the ten year old ones run like new. If they make better batteries at a decent price point I can see them lasting another ten years. I went with Bosh 12v platform due to their size and power and think I could live with these two solutions for years to come. My hope is they make Craftsman a brand again to be proud to own. I am watching closely. I am an avid woodworker and have fully remodeled three homes with these. While I don’t depend on them for a living I still expect my tools took and be reliable.
Michael
I dare to hope that Craftsman may rise from the ashes and be great again
Dennis
9I remember when I was 14 or 15 in the 90’s and was starting to buy my first tools. In Canada Sears was the place to go. They had a great selection of tools and tool boxes. Prices were good especially when they had their sales, 50 to 60% off and you got full 3/8″ drive sets up to 1″ and full metric sets with every size up to 19mm and no skipped sizes. Same with 1/2″ drive sets. Wrenches were the same. Now you go into Sears and the tool section is a joke! Your lucky to see anything worth buying. Sears Canada wonders why they are in trouble.
Jerry
Good for them. Many people, including myself have said to bring USA made Craftsman tools back, and SBD is responding. I can understand that it may be impractical to make 100% of everything US made but they are going in the right direction. As to the ‘global materials’ I believe they have to say that if anything is imported, even if it is just a plastic button or little pin or snap ring. The main thing is they are bringing back US jobs making (hopefully) quality tools. US made with global components beats imported, IMO. Not so much from a quality standpoint, as there are good and bad from both, but good in the sense of putting Americans back to work.
As someone who said they wanted Craftsman to return to US manufacturing, I intend to check out the Craftsman section for them. On another note, I also think it is good they spun off the brand to be sold in places like Ace, because around here at least, we have 3-4 Ace stores to one Sears, and some of the the Sears stores don’t have much for tools or hardware.
Jerry
PS. If SBD is reading this please give Craftsman tools their own easily navigable website. The Sears website is atrocious, at !east as far as finding the tool you are looking for, and to some extent the product description.
John Fal
Heads up SBD ! new name in Craftsman hand tools! ?????? “CRAFTSMAN PRO USA”??????
Nat
USA made – a thing of the past no matter what.
All the people dissing Craftsman for not having the tools they grew up with flock to Harbor Freight to check out the deals.
John Fal
Not all of us, just bought a 3 piece set of craftsman prybars today and they are made in the good old USA! Sears has them less than half price on line right now and like the way they are made. I’ll buy used USA tools before I by cheap junk tools any old day!
Not saying anything bad about harbor freight though, they provide jobs for hard working Americans. I’m just not into throw away tools myself and I’ll pay extra for good quality USA made items. ??
Lynyrd
SBD will transition Craftsman Power Tools made by others to be made in their factories. No different than Porter Cable, MAC, and so on.
Currently Craftsman core Screwdrivers and Pliers are made in the USA by Western Forge (Owned by Ideal).
Who knows what will happen with core hand tools; Sockets and Wrenches. Western Forge/Ideal own most of the designs including many of the previous “Professional” tool line. It is unclear if KCD Craftsman or Danaher own the most recent Made in USA Craftsman Wrench and Socket designs.
If SBD redesigns Craftsman tools to resemble current DeWalt/Stanley designs, then forget about it. If they utilize Proto or MAC designs they might have a chance.
In relation to Sears Holdings, they may declare bankruptcy in August, if not they will in January as they owe the Pension Fund 2.2 Billion which they cannot possibly pay back. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the stores will be shuttered.
John Fal
Yea, sbd junked Dewalt hand tools up bad! Sad they cheapened the dewalt brand so bad! ? love Dewalt power tools.
There’d be smart to have them USA made or at least a USA PRO line. ??
Matt
I’ve been a loyal Sears customer my whole life. Grandpa was, dad was… Same story as many. The #1 reason for that though going back to the beginning was Craftsman. Next up would have been the Sears auto center for DieHard but that was a distant second to Craftsman. Anything and everything, as long as it was Craftsman, it was American Made Quality only from Sears. Many companies and/or brands could survive going overseas without the backlash but Craftsman was not and is not one of them. When you build your company/brand for nearly a centuries worth of customers, from the beginning of the Industrial age based on Made In America, you simply can’t go overseas and get away with it. “Everyone else is doing it” doesn’t work here… Not with Craftsman.
That said, I’m thrilled. I initially wanted Ideal to buy Craftsman. I figured they’d make right on bringing it back to it’s former American glory and they had Western Forge/S-K to start from for hand tools. Craftsman is so much more than hand tools though. And Stanley has the resources to do this right. If there’s anyone that can do this, it’s them. With Proto/Mac & DeWalt to draw from and build off of, I seriously can’t wait to start buying Craftsman’s new lines. All of my Craftsman tools be it hand tools or power tools are all American aside from a couple C3 battery units and my magnesium circular saw. I refused to buy anything else. I bought a new DeWalt drill/driver combo last month just to support American manufacturing and DeWalt/SBD for buying Craftsman. My lawnmower is Craftsman, my toolboxes are Waterloo and/or Craftsman (same thing).. Shovels, hammers,tape measures,torque wrenches, jacks, shop vac’s, weed eater, outdoor shed, everything. Even some work clothes, All Craftsman from Sears.
I too heard Sears will all begin closing after July and will be downsizing into new Sears Hometown stores across the country thereafter. It could be true, it could be bogus rumors. I will continue to support Sears either way IF their tool lines in store are the new American Craftsman lines from SBD/DeWalt. If not, I will go to where real American Craftsman is sold. Most likely our local Blaine’s or possibly Home Depot. I’m not buying chinese stuff from Sears if I can get the real deal from Stanley elsewhere. I do wonder about my lawnmowers and stuff now. Regardless, I can’t Wait for new DeWalt style/based battery and corded power tools from Craftsman! Thank You SBD/DeWalt!
John Fal
I agree on all of that and yes sears has self destructed their stores. Sears doesn’t take very good care of their dot com either, they allow other companies to sell junk on their website for insane prices and don’t bother competing with Amazon. Plus the fact that the Craftsman brand got cheapened and put in Kmart. Our giant Sears Grand in our town looks almost abandoned. ?
Lynyrd
Waterloo hasn’t made Craftsman tool boxes since 2007. Power tools, Lawn tools, haven’t been made in the USA since 2004. Those items won’t return to U.S. At best under the DeWalt name at best Made In USA with Global Components.
Matt
Waterloo still makes Craftsman toolboxes, though not all of them. Mine are Waterloo/Craftsman’s but they are old. I don’t know who SBD will use for a source or if they make their own in house. When I buy new, I have to have an American made tool box. It’s just one of those things… I can deal with my tv or clothes being made somewhere else but a mans tools and toolbox are like part of his soul. At least for many of us. I do have a preference for Waterloo stuff. I suppose it’s what I grew up on. You’re correct on lawnmowers, particularly the engines. When Tecumseh closed up shop here it was a done deal.
While my comments concerning SBD-Craftsman were more directed at hand tools and power tools being USA Made, I do wish we could see a return of lawn care equipment someday as well. I know SBD or Sears for that matter have no control over that. I’m just talking in general. I miss small engines being U.S. produced. I’m restoring an old Sears David Bradley and just love classic American equipment. In doing research for it awhile back there was some pretty neat info I came across. The company still building many of these for Sears (and others) can still essentially be traced back to the beginning of David Bradley & Sears. Either way, SBD/DeWalt are moving the Craftsman ball down the field in the right direction.
Stuart
I don’t know where you are getting that from, but it’s 100% wrong.
Waterloo definitely still makes tool boxes for Craftsman. Not all of them, but a lot of models.
Joe
I don’t agree …craftsman has been bad for many years stu..so ya gear wrench sold because of that…..classic example….trump..he won because there are enough good ol red blooded Americans that still believe this country is great….that America should come first ,that Americans should come first,…if sbd makes Craftsman like the old days….
……We will buy it regardless of cost…most people will spend more for quality tools..especially trades people…ya some will still want a Walmart grade tool,but most want ….Quality ….like Milwaukee FUEL…Dewalt FLEXVOLT…premium tools at premium prices…” if they build it,we will come”
John Fal
For sure! God bless America! ??????????
Stuart
7 to 10 years ago, Craftsman Pro were still great tools. Made in USA and lots of value for the money.
I scrimped and saved, and spent a lot of money upgrading a lot of my starter tools to better Craftsman ones.
Craftsman tools were still good, if not great.
I considered those Craftsman ratcheting wrenches, but the Gearwrench were far less expensive, and the brand generally well regarded. Sears often had 40% and 50% off sales on Gearwrench sets.
John Fal
I ended up with both, got the ?? the switch button craftsman, which I love. But the flex head Gearwrench won me over LOL! I have to admit that I waited for a good sale……… ?????(((((( $$$$$$ PS. OUR LOCAL SEARs Grand STORE HAD THE 4 pack of IRwin clamps for $10.00 & the Irwin vise grip 5″ locking pliers for $2.48 item number on that tool is 1923454 reg $27.00 love to pass on a great deal In case it’s at anyone else’s Sears. Good luck! 🙂
Jeff Duggan
Give the current potus and ledership, Ill buy from any country BUT the usa.
ed ski
First, there will have to be a massive marketing campaign to convince many folk that SBD Craftsman is “better” if not greater than the previous branding/quality.
As for where it comes from, historically, manufacturing in the US was an environmental nightmare and I am glad much of it has gone to “their” backyard. Even in Europe, they care more about the environment and will outsource some manufacturing so that it won’t impact locals (e.g. pollution). And some Asian manufacturing has gotten very competitive (remember in the 50s/60s that Japanese manufacturing was synonymous with junk)… Look at Misubishi Heavy Industries, Toyo, Nippon, Matsushita, Honda… we now have luxury cars (Lexus, Acura…) that rival American and European in terms of reliability, mileage and comfort.
As I digress, I still look to Craftsman for tools (hand tools, storage…) but not for woodworking (think Jet, Powermatic, Delta…). I care about cost. If a $5 wrench will do the job of a $25 one and maybe fail once, with a warranty, why should I spend $20 more? And I’ve notices that Kobalt and Husky listen to feedback (look at the large type “25mm” on sockets or color code (red/blue…SAE/Metric). Some inexpensive Kobalt ratcheting wrenches feel/work as good as Snapon/Mac that are 2-4x the price.
I’m still mad that I took a Craftsman 12 point socket that cracked back to store and they refuse to warranty it. Not w/o proof of purchase. I had to buy replacement. Yet, I need to buy a 3 draw mid-cabinet for my Craftsman setup… so that it matches. $90 still cheaper than what Lowes or HD sell. But you ever go to the craftsmen website? Scripts/trackers/cookies…and then it sends you to sears dot com for even more (50+) trackers and crap.
Thankfully, I have a Sears (central NJ) nearby that won’t be closing. But sure could use just a Craftsman-only floor.
I think Craftsman name will stick around. I hope Stanley/B&D will audit, adjust and remove any duplicity. And that they bring costs down but keep quality. That is going to be the miracle.
Goodnightjohnboy
I think the overall issue is how it got to be acceptable to use global materials to begin with. I understand that China may have a 50x more factories than we do, but thats not an excuse to why a USA made tool has imported components. I’m sorry, but weren’t we making our own components etc way before the global materials crap started? And if components etc were imported, it sure as hell didn’t come from China. We were & still are more than capable of producing our own Craftsman or whatever American brand of tools without the need for global parts & sold for an affordable price. Craftsman as well as many others didn’t need global materials up until everyone lost site of idea that product quality is more important than profits. And by doing so they put millions of people out of a job, forced an enormous amount of businesses to close, and relying on inferior global made parts. Because now, it would cost too much to have everything made in America because they shut down so many of the American businesses that used to make the parts. Tell me again why its economical to import parts for tools today, when it wasn’t 20 years ago. I’m sure global materials were available back then, but it wasn’t economical to compromise product quality for more money. The folks in charge didn’t want to want to loose their clout with the American people. I really hope sbd holds the high standards of what Craftsman once was. The Craftsman tools I own and use are older than me(1978), and work like the day they were made. Made in America without global materials.
Jim Felt
GNJB.
“We” as a society have simply fallen for the belief that most things are disposable. And the hedge fund managers et al starting in the Eighties were no exception. So closing an older not particular “efficient” plant in somewhere out of their actual sight didn’t trouble them much. Ask KKR or Bain Capital*. *Yes that presidential candidate.
So here we are. Completely unable to even manuafacture the iPhone case let alone the components I’m tapping on. No?
And who exactly is going to work in these historic/lost art factories?
Really. Who?
Ray
As far as I’m concerned this is great news. I like going to Sears actually, their tool section in my area is so far ahead of the Home Depot one it isn’t funny. They sell more router bits, jigs, better saw blades, better things in general then the Depot.
The only thing Depot wins on is variety of cordless tools which I don’t use much.
I spend a bit more money on tooling to buy made in the USA stuff, I have been buying Stanley stuff for years but only the made in the US stuff such as certain razor knives and toolboxes. I buy the Empire made in the US levels, and the made in the US speed squares and combination squares. Whiteside router bits. made here, Occidental toolbags. Craftsman still has some made in the US hand saws, router bit holders, screwdrivers, and misc. hand tools that I buy.
I’ve had nothing but bad experiences with the TTI imported power tools (ryobi and milwaukee both) and Kobalt brand imported hand tools so happy to see viable competition for them.
Bob
I doubt SBD will bring manufacturing of Crapsman hand tools back to USA, especially after seeing at an industrial supply house the huge offering of chinese De walt hand tools.
Most likely, made in china, packaged in USA.
Maybe, just maybe, the professional line will be made in the same USA factory as Proto.
And the void created by Apex’s demise of Armstrong will be filled by?
Ronald Lewis Hutzell
I don’t know where to start and I’m more confused than I was when I started to read all that is included in you’re above comments over an hour ago. I was excited to respond to a newspaper ad seeking a Mac tool “franchisee” in my area. After two months of responding to your online offer and never getting a call from anyone with MAC i decided to try something else to see if there is any interest on your part at all.
I once worked for an International, Volvo and GM dealership in my area but none of them are here now. I’ve traveled to many states east of the Mississippi and often see your competitors trucks at many dealerships, repair shops, etc. but no MAC trucks. Why, I ask myself but I do not have an answer. Perhaps this email will get me an answer, I certainly hope so as I’m still a “died in the wool” fan of MAC.
Stuart
ToolGuyd is a tool blog. Sorry, but we don’t make tools, sell tools, or have franchisees. Good luck to you!
Ronald Lewis Hutzell
Not much more to say, its your turn.
Bill Clay
From the FAQ on thefutureofcraftsman.com site, it looks like Sears will sstill ource their own Craftsman product (China) and SB&D Craftsman will be USA assembled (with global material).
Richard
wondering the new craftman tools made by black & decker would be the same quality has the old USA craftman in the 2010 and earlier years ago ? or made the same quality has china but made USA ?
Eddie
Thank God they’re bringing manufacturing back to the USA!
I have acquired a number of Craftsman tools over the last ten years. My dad has owned nothing but Craftsman for decades and I grew up using his tools and appreciated the quality. My tools however, were total garbage – Chinese made ratcheting wrenches that slip, bulky polished open-end wrenches that spread, and the Craftsman professional screwdrivers that snap off at the handle.
When I landed a job as a heavy equipment mechanic and needed to expand my collection, I wanted to buy all Craftsman but I could not justify spending good money on unreliable tools and frequently wasting my time after work exchanging broken tools at Sears. I ended up purchasing over $30k on Cornwell, Matco, and Mac tools.
Sorry Craftsman, but you screwed up!
Donald
There is a difference between “Made in the USA” and “Made in the USA with Global Components”, right?
Paul
I was a devoted Craftsman tool buyer for 40+ years. But when Sears switched to imported knockoffs, I immediately switched to Harbor Freight Tool! if I’m going to buy a Chinese made tool, it’s not going to have the Craftsman name on it!
The HFT quality isn’t bad and so far all I’ve purchased have held up. I Also buy Tekton tools which are about the same as HFT. Some the pliers and screwdrivers are actually made in the USA!
If Stanley Black And Decker brings back USA made Craftsman tools,I’m back in the game. Otherwise, no Craftsman for me!
John
thought Sears was going out of business?
Neighbor Joe
SBD posted the locations for US production of Craftsman tools. It looks like Malco Tool plant in Dewitt Ne, either Proto tool plant in Cherwa SC or former Craftsman Apex tool line in Sumter SC and a location appears to be Kenoshosa WI where Snapon it made. Unlikely but the map provides an interesting overlay of US plant footprint. Numerous other locations denoted including Waterloo Missouri and the former Lenox plants. August 16th is the unveiling.
Ted Mittelstaedt
The website
thefutureofcraftsman.comlinked above goes to a virus site.Stuart
Thanks for the alert!
The link used to work. My guess is that Stanley Black & Decker and Craftsman never renewed its registration, allowing another party to purchase the domain. I removed the link.
Vinnie
I have a set of Craftsman wrenches, sockets etc bought back i nthe mid 1980’s. My 1/4 inch ratchet wore out so I trooped up to the Sears store for a rebuild kit with the ratchet in hand. The whole set was high chromed. They wanted to give me an old rusty ratchet, and I refused and left. Only after contacting Sears corporate did I get a cal lform the store manager to make it right. Her response was to tell me to go pick out a replacement. I did, but it also doesn’t match as it is a flat finished ratchet that I hate. So that did me. No more Craftsman for me. My Dad has a whole woodworking shop of old Craftsman tools like a 1940’s cast iton lathe. I have a Craftsman Drill press made by King-Seeley Tool that is cast iron, but I am not going to pay Craftsman prices for tools made in China when I can go to Harbor Freight and buy the same thing for 1/3 less money.