O/T: Sears is blowing out metal storage cabinets

Howdy, first of I don't work for Sears. I'm just uber cheap and I'm in the process of getting my garage more organized.

The Sears Hardware by me in NJ is blowing out their Craftsman U.S. made black metal storage cabinets. I just bought a floor and a top storage cabinet for $150.00 including tax. The one was the floor model and the other was in stock.

Just an FYI... Beats those PVC plastic cabinets at the same price. Good luck!

 

Where in Jersey are we talkin' about?

 

DAMN, I work for Waterloo in the tool & die shop, we make the Craftsman stuff. It's made here in MO, and in Mexico. We're down to 32 hour weeks, and we have to take off the last week of this month. We just came back from a week off over the 4th holiday. The people on the floor running the presses are being sent home early every day, they aren't even getting 32 hours. We have over 200 people on layoff because nothing's selling. It doesn't look good. I expect everyday to be my last. Waterloo has put most of there eggs into one basket, that being Sears. Sears isn't doing good at all. This blowout sale isn't what I wanted to hear about. Dean

 

They can't order more from you untill the sell what they have.

 

That's the problem, they aren't selling what they have. The quality has gone down the toilet in the last few years. Everything was made in house before, now lots of little stuff, wheels, hinges, ect. is sourced from China, and most of the desirable stuff is now made in Mexico. They removed Made in USA from all the boxes. I've only been with the company 7 months, so I missed all the good years. I don't think they will ever come back. All the dies they had, to make the parts that are now sourced from China, were thrown away. They can't go back to making them in house anymore. I'm looking at my time at Waterloo as a refresher course, as I've been out of the tool & die field for about 6 years. At least I'm having fun. Dean

 

So does waterloo still have operations in Waterloo, IA? I thought it was their only location as recently as 7-8 years ago. They used to pull engineering interns out of a local college and I knew several people that worked there.

True story, one of my cl***es you had to design and present a cradle-to-production item and one of the Waterloo interns brought in his current work project. It was the plastic clasp that craftsman used for many years to hold the drawers shut, maybe they still do because they feel the same in stores. After decades of successfully using metal clasp they had this kid draw up a plastic one to save like a dollar a toolbox, the injection die had been ordered when he was doing the presentation, it was a "go".

I remember sitting there thinking "this is a bad, bad idea"

Sure enough, couple years later I buy a craftsman box and what happens the first time I use it in cold weather? Door clasp breaks and has now been taunting me with it's uselessness for 7 years. So Cedric, if you're out there reading this, f*ck you and the bean counter that made you design that abomination.

 

I know your pain- I was Riffed 2 months from my company after 24 years because of the China Syndrome and India. No new job yet either.

 

Sadly, Sears has made a decision, much like much of our country, to exchange Rock Solid for Cheap ****. The hinge on my Craftsman 3/8" socket set broke early on and, of course, that's NOT under Craftsman guarantee. Now it's held together with a strip of bike inner tube and I have had many enjoyable hours cursing Sears as I put the sockets back in order after they spill. They went for cheap and can hardly complain when no one wants to buy their ****.

But it's not really China's fault. If Sears had said, we want these tools made to these high standards, you bet the Chinese could do it-they've got the tooling and the steel. They'll make what the customer wants and the US wants Cheap. Sadly, those of us who don't are drowned out by the m***es.

 

That seems to be the case with every f'n thing these days.

I work in manufacturing (industrial products), and I can tell you it's the same story in every industry. Hell, we have US customers asking us why we don't make MORE overseas so we can p*** along the savings to them.

With crazy steel prices this year, this problem is only going to escalate (poor quality imported junk), as you just KNOW the consumer expects the same product at the same price, despite the run-up in raw material costs.

 

OK So what tools are forged/made here in the USA ( All parts etc )

 

Damn, guys. I never thought about the "other end" when posting this thread. I was just trying to give folks the heads-up.

I'm sad to hear about the loss of jobs that come with our need for cheap products. I wish you all luck in your future endevors.

 

More **** quality = more accidents = more lawsuits = more lawyers = higher corpoarte insurance rates = higher prices for us = fewer sales = layoffs = more 3rd world outsourcing

 

And you know the clowns that made these brilliant decisions will still have a job.

 

check this out: www.madeinusa.com or www.canadianmade.com
I use both these sites before any purchase. Why support the Chinese military government?? It's a simple fact, if it says 'Made in China', I won't buy it.

 

Man, I really try. I really do. Sometimes it is next to impossible to avoid it.

 

Of course they don't know **** about quality.
Sears is now owned by Kmart.
The same Kmart that went bankrupt.

 

Had any dental work done lately? I'm a self employed dental technician, my business has been crippled by China as well. Only difference is, it won't say made in China on that new crown or bridge you just had inserted. Have you seen the news lately about those? Lead and other contaminants, and you don't even know if you have one in your mouth. America is in BIG trouble. The Chinese are our ENEMY, and we're pouring money into them so they can build better weapons. And yes, I've been guilty of it too.
Bottom line though is that this shouldn't be up to the consumer, most will go for the cheaper option every time, it was something our government should have regulated. Instead, they sold us out with NAFTA and other deals designed to serve the rich with no concern for what it did to the country.
We the people need to do something now, but far too many are more concerned with seeing 20 million $ pictures of Angelina Jolie's baby.

 

Instead, they sold us out with NAFTA and other deals designed to serve the rich with no concern for what it did to the country.
We the people need to do something now, but far too many are more concerned with seeing 20 million $ pictures of Angelina Jolie's baby.[/QUOTE]

How true is that! It just pisses me off that people worry more about what the latest Hollywood star is up to than what is actually going on in the real world.

 

There is no more "real world". All gone.

It has been packaged and sold to some corporation,
that is now leveraging the property rights by
creating growth synergies and upside potential.

Greedy speculators buy and sell "smoke",and drive up the price of everything.
But since they make money on the deal,it is ok.

 

I wear a rubber wrist band that is colored in camouflage representing my support for the troops in the desert......both American and Canadian. It was given to me while in Arizona. For the heck of it, I just flipped it over.
Where is it made? China.
How ironic is that??

 

And you know I picked up some brand new USA made wrenches when an old, old hardware store went out of business. I mostly wanted the rack, but for the same price I got it and all the wrenches on it. Some of them were stickered almost half the price I paid for the rack - there were around 50 on it - open/box end, box-end combos, some with offset ends, and so on.

So I take them to shows and sell them - first at $3 a shot, or 2 for $5. I get one guy and he wants an even better deal than that. So I marked them to $5 or 2 for $8 so that the next weasel will only be able to deal me down to the price I want to sell them for.

I think in 2 years I've made maybe half my money back. They're too expensive and some people are too dumb to ****er, apparently. I hope I sell a bunch this weekend, I'm tired of lugging the rack around, I'd like to hang it up and keep some of my own tools on it.

 

My friend bought a new hat the other day, and I asked him where it was made, he didn't know so he took it off and we looked at the label inside, "Made in Mexico". We noticed though that the label was a stick-on type, so he peeled it off, and underneath was a sewn in label: "Made in China." Lot's of deceptive things going on out there now.

 

I saw some Made in Canada stickers,that were made in China.

 

Our great grankids are going to hate us if there are any FACTUAL history books still around when they learn how to read. And why not............................we sold their birth right down the toilet to save a few bucks.
And during the process I'll bet they resent the way we participated in the DUMBING OF AMERICA that allowed it all to happen. Notice how I used the word "WE". Thats right, no history book needed here just a mirror to look in while we are shaving or brushing out teeth.
I'm not a drinking man but Budweiser (like Elvis) just left the building. And the beat goes on............NEXT.

Frank

 

Looks to me like this was just a yell out to every one that you might be able to get a cabinet or two for cheap from sears.

Good hell. I dont like to hear how your job ****s cause they wont work you. You are the only one that can make the job you have better by getting a new one.

Never seen a topic take such a ******** twist before.

 

The replys to this post have proven just that.

Grow up people. If a bunch of people high jacked your thread you all would ***** and moan and call the guys SPAMMERS!

 

Cooperate offices are in Waterloo IA, no production is done there.

 

Try finding one here that pays over $8.00 an hour. This one pays a lot more than that. Not much call for skilled labor. Oh, and most don't have health insurance. Thanks for caring, Dean

 

Thanks for the tip on the cabinets..


As for China, what can you do ? Don't buy their stuff.

A Mexican friend of mine told me that if you wear a shirt with a made in China tag on it, you will get arrested for having illegally imported goods. And he said they do check. They will grab you collar and read the tag.

They should do that here. Something..