I was a die-hard (pardon the pun) Craftsman guy once upon a time. I quickly learned the difference between 'good' consumer grade tools and the real deal, when you use them day-in and day-out, even before the quality started dropping at Sears. When you make your living with your tools, free replacements with no h***le delivered to the shop on demand is priceless, not to mention the much lower failure rate (in most cases). However, I can't seem to justify the expense of the good stuff (with a few exceptions) for my toolbox at home. Interestingly enough, I have a few China brand tools that work better than their truck-marketed counterparts for certain tasks. Tool tip of the day: US made Mac taps have a lifetime warranty. You heard me right - Mac warranties taps. Who cares if they are 3X the price. I think they may warranty bits, as well. They only warranty down to a certain size, but the normal sizes like (I think) #10 or 1/4" and bigger are covered.
I actually took a cracked Craftsman 9/16 deep socket into Western Auto and got it replaced when they were owned by Sears and sponsoring Darrell Waltrip. I manage to lose more of the damned things than I ever break, though. H-F stuff is **** but they replace it too, I even got them to replace a ratchet chain tie-down that was bent because I backed the trailer over it - and they were out of that one so I got the next bigger one up. They replaced a breaker bar for me after I twisted the end right off it, too. I guess I'd rather lose their junk than Mac or Snap-On stuff, I had a nice Snap-on 1/2 ratchet and that finally dissapeared one day and that still pisses me off, because it was my grandfathers, and my uncle got (and apparently hocked) most of the rest of his tools.
Sears bought Kmart thats why some Kmarts changed to Sears thats what happened here Kmart super store only a few years old changed to Sears yet 10 miles away there is still a Kmart store
I've slowly learned what cheap tools to buy and what not to buy, from Horrible Freight and all the others. Best bet if you've got the time, are garage sales and auctions. I'm always on the lookout for US built tools, the older the better. When I bought my house 30 years ago, I found old hand tools rusting away on the ba*****t floor in a disintegrating wood crate. A**** them was a pair of fence pliers, manufacturing date of 1911. I wirebrushed the surface rust off, did a little oil wipe down to curb any future rusting and ended up with one of the highest quality hand tools in my top box. I don't have any wire fencing around anymore, so they don't get much use, but if I ever get anymore wire fencing (yeah right), I've got the right tool. Makes you wonder how we could have gotten it so right 100 years ago, still made reasonably decent stuff 30-40 years ago, and don't have a clue now. I for one would step up and pay Snap-On's price, if I thought I could trust the quality to be there. You can't even trust the MADE IN USA sign anymore. So many people and companies, even (or especially) in this country, don't have any pride in doing a good job, don't seem to even have a clue how to do a good job, and don't give a rats ***. It's also pretty obvious where the Chinese stand when 99% of their product coming in to this country is total ****. It's also too bad our (collective or cultural) greed has caused us to go to a "service economy", giving up very nearly all our manufacturing capability and farming it out overseas. If you can't control and trust the process here, why the Hell does anyone think it could be done overseas?
My dad gave me a Craftsman tool box full of tools last year. The kind you would carry in yer trunk. He bought them in 1949 or so. Told me he never had to use them. Always had new cars. I've never used them either.............OLDBEET
My bad. Here's the link to prove Ian right. http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/17/news/fortune500/sears_kmart/
I have some craftsman that I bought 20 years ago, not much has broken. I have a set of HF impacts I bought about 18 years ago, and only the 3/4 and 13/16 broke (wheel nuts and alot of them). As I continued working in the dealerships, I started buying Snap On and Matco, and then used those exclusively from then on. I still have most of that stuff from years ago, they are in my junkyard box now. I was at Sears a few hours ago, and they were giving some dude the business about his broken ratchets. They were the "old style" and were not comparable in value to the newer ones, so they were not going to swap them out for him. That held up the line for about 20minutes. I don't know if he got his ****, I got pissed off and left. At the same store a few years ago, I took in a broken half inch drive ratchet. The guy said they were discontinuing them and gave me a mitt full of repair kits. I guess it depends on who you get.
I have had good luck with Craftsman hand tools. I don't have any of their power tools. I had an easy return about four months ago with a 3/8" ratchet that the ratchet mechanism stopped working, and a couple of cracked sockets. I've had all three of these for over ten years, and although I know that Snap-On, Mac, Matco, etc are probably superior tools, the convenience of just going to sears any day of the week to swap them out and the lower price (I'm not a pro mechanic) trumps the higher quality. On the other hand, I won't touch power tools that aren't name brand (DeWalt, Milwaukee, Bosch, Delta, etc). I get sick of returning the cheap ones when they break after two days. Ben
That's your Snap-On dealer and not the company... I've been using a mix of tools for the last 25 years or so. Snap-On, Mac, Craftsman, Matco, and Cornwell.... I usually don't go out of my way for Craftsman, they're cheap and do the job but they just don't seem to be in the same league as the others. Lately I've been dealing strictly with Cornwell, they stop by the shop every week and are helpful, they also seem to have improved some stuff instead of it getting cheaper. I still get the occasional Snap-On or Mac tool when needed. I was actually in Sears the other day and looked through the tool section and didn't see anything that I would really buy that was Craftsman, they had a couple of Lisle specialty things that I thought about but figured I'd grab them off of the tool truck instead. It's a few bucks more but I get great service and it's worth it.
I quit using craftsman power tools 20 years ago, when I had the same heavy duty 3/8 drill rebuilt 3 times in the first year. Switched to Porta Cable on power tools. Hand tools about 10 years ago I bought their best 1/2" drive torque wrench -rated 250 ft lbs. The ratchet broke within a year. I went to sears to get it replaced and they gave me a 3/8 drive rebuild kit. I have not been in a sears store since. I but SK to replace the broken craftsman.
Almost all of my tools were used, but I haven't had any problems replacing the broken craftsmen stuff. Granted, the new isn't as good as the old. Every time I see a tool box full of sockets I buy it, 5- 30 bucks a pop.
Economics: Sears was bought by K-Mart, but they're "owned" by you and me. If you own their stock, you own a portion of the company. Technically. Marketing: The Craftsman replacement warranty is and always was a store promotion. The tools are not that superior (as you all know). The idea is that if you have a broken tool, you'd go to get it replaced for free, and while you were there, since you already made the trip, you'd pick up a nice leisure suit, or Kenmore appliance, or even another tool, so the store made another sale. I am sorry to say that's all it is, and all it was.* Yes, this was aimed more at Mr and Mrs middle america than gearheads, so it probably never occurred to you, you just wanted the tool. Took me a lot of trips to Sears to figger it out. I now use Husky or Cobalt, the stores are closer. *Edit: A lifetime replacement warranty is also a marketing ploy by itself. It's supposed to make you feel better about the purchase. Think about it; if it was that great, why would it ever need replaced?
Coolhand, you have had some bad times. I have never had an issue replacing a tool from Sear. The last ratchet I took in, I wanted a rebuild kit, but they will only replace the whole tool. If you ever have a problem returning a tool, remind them that the warranty says "unconditional" and "no questions asked"! Hell, I have replaced tools that we cut in half to fit in a tight place with no problems. Yes, the snap on stuff is better, but for sockets, its craftsman for me, since I tend to lose the things and I can easily replace those lost pieces at the pawn shop.
My experience was just about the opposite. My local Sears store(Omaha) Just tells me to get the new stuff off the shelf and they run it thru the register and thank me for shopping at SEars. Now the Snap-on guy ,several years ago he would not warranty some items because,I did not buy them from him,and I didn't work in a shop he serviced. I haven't tried the Cobalt but i may try when I need something.
I have never had much of a problem with Sears, but most of my stuff is Snap On and Matco. Pops had the 'we don't warranty them anymore' on a ratchet from a Jr executive type manager, once. He threw a fit (rightly so). He did have to warranty an impact socket (twice) the first time, they replaced it with one that was stamped 'Craftsman' and 'Taiwan' so when that one failed (took 10 years, go figure), the salesman tried to give him greif that it was some kind of counterfit. Yeah like he's got the capability to stamp the Craftsman name into tool steel, without ****ing up the black oxide coating. I was with him all 3 trips (dad was fit to be tied when he saw the Taiwan on that socket too). I always laugh when I hear an ad for Craftsman (or see one in the store) claiming Craftsman has always been made in the USA.
A couple of years ago, I took a 1/4" drive and a 3/8" drive ratchet into Sears. The ratchet mechanism was worn out on both of them. The salesman who was on the phone, took the two worn ratchets, looked at them, walked over and got two new ratchets off the rack, handed them to me, smiled, waved, and never stopped talking on the phone. I think the "unconditional warranty" is all about which store you go to and who is working when you get there.
Some of you boys can't read.... SEARS DID NOT BUY KMART... KMART BOUGHT SEARS..... Try a little Google out, it works wonders. I know it seems it should have been the other way around. I was amazed when I heard it.
Has anyone noticed that the Ace hardware combo wrenches and ratchets look EXACTLY like the Snap-On circa 1996-97 stuff?
I have never had trouble exchanging Craftsman tools. I really like the Craftsman files a lot. They have a lifetime guarantee! I use 'em until they don't work so good, then take them back in to the store, in the original blue and clear sleeve with the guaranatee printed on the back. I always have sharp files in the tool box, and only had to buy them one time. I have taken abused tools in and had no grief. It is true, though, some replacements are ****. My Craftsment 4way lugnut wrench cracked one size. The replacement is horrible, I kept the broken original, I'm going to try to repair it instead, I have had it since the mid '60's. BobW
I have a mix of Proto, Snap On, S.K. and Craftsman tools. I have had more trouble with the S.K. than any of the others. I did buy a heavy duty grinder that was made in China from Sears and I sure will not make that mistake again. The key (not 100 per cent) is to look if it is made in the USA or not, and if it is made in China, P*** on it. Corperate greed has put us in this position.
Had a pair of Craftsman prunining shears for years that the lock mechanism broke. Went to Sears to return it and found they had eight or nine different shears all made in China. They no longer carry yard tools made in the USA. All they have are Chi Com ****. I believe thats the deal on all Sears tools. Went to Lowes, same story. Of about eight or nine different shears all were Chinese ****. The only place I could find a USA made pair was on eBay. Pretty soon nothing will be made in this country. It will all be Chinese garbage.
I have a friend who goes through the used and "broken" tool bin at his store (hes the manager) and pulls out all the old craftsman tools like rachets that are worn out. The then rebuilds them and ads them to his collection or gives them away. His store always offers either a rebuild kit for the old tool or a new replacement. He says very few people take the rebuild kit.
I broke my 1/2" drive Craftsmen Rachet I took it back to sears but I wanted to upgrade to there nicer rachet and pay the difference. The guy behind the counter said I could not do that. So I took it to another sears and they upgraded it no questions asked. I just split a 3/4" socket and my 3/8" rachet while removing a head bolt. We will see what they say to me.
And by "lifetime warranty"...who's lifetime? The company's? How long is that "lifetime" now a days? Certainly not as long as a human lifetime...
It seems that integrity of manufacture and service is going to Hades in a hurry? The "system" I work for is trying an experiment now with the employees.We work 7 hour shifts,35 hours per week.No overtime,but they give you "comp-time" which is next to impossible to redeem.Read that,free labor. Their masterplan is to "give" the employee an hour long break in the middle of the shift(while you still help the patron)which gives them an 8 hour shift. Free labor. I was in a Tractor/Farm supply-type store which sells tools this week.The employees are proud that nothing is metric! "All the tools are SAE!" All the tools are made in China/Taiwan and if they break will be exchanged for tool #100,000,001. I have a theory,with the rare exception,extend your arm and you can touch something made in China.We're in trouble.....
I purchased my first set of Craftsman tools in 55 and still have some of them. If you have to grind on a tool ,like in acft work, keep the craftsman name visible. thats all I have had a problem with on exchange.They are not the showey s/o but do the job well.
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