I think your age is showing... mine too ... Yah I like those old ones, I look for them at flea markets.... The newer ones take two hands to change direction.
ALWAYS craftsman tools at yard sales, swap meets. I have a pretty nice collection, and didn't buy a one at Sears... But I did find a broken 1/2" drive ( old style) in and old garage I was demolishing a year or so back. Took it to my local sears store and as I walked up to the counter, the clerk saw me coming (tool in hand) and already had an identical replacement up on the counter for me.
Snap On isn't any better. We had an inch and a half ratchet that they no longer handle so no warranty.
I bought a SnapOn box back in the seventies. In 96 my wife ran into it with the pickup. Insurance bought me a new one. I kept the old dented box and last year decided to see if I could fix the drawers. Called Snapon and they sent me all new runners, no charge. I thought that was pretty nice of them, especially since I bought the box used back in the 70's.
If you do this, for crissakes wear a condom. If you actually buy tools OR parts at Crappy tire, you wont need one, because it'll be YOU thats getting f****d.
I have shit loads of Craftsman tools, most of them 25 years old or older. I have my grandfathers tools most of them Craftsman and they are old heavy nicely made tools. I started buying JW Williams tools because i work for a company that Airgas owns and they sell the Snap-On industrial line which is JW Williams. A lot of them are also made in China or Taiwan but they have proven to be pretty good tools especially for the price. The ratchets i like most are the Williams fine tooth ratchets and i use the shit out of them. Might try Airgas for tools, they will have to order them and takes a week or so to get them but may be worth it. With that being said Sears has gone out of their way replacing shit i abused and neglected and just plain screwed up on my own doing. Rod
For the first time, I have not read the entire thread before posting, and I am aware that the beaten horse is in decay, but I didn't bring this back up. I feel like I have to add here, so sue me. I have it from a VERY good source that Sears is, and will eventually, change its tool production to the other side, mostly out of necessity to survive. For every tool that Sears sells, they give away 6 to the people that bring it back for the warranty. This, plus some questionable management decisions, has put them in a hole that they'll have a hard time digging out of. Even American tool supplier contracts for Sears are going away rapidly. When we lost $14,000 worth of Craftsman tools in a fire, we didn't take the remnants in for replacements. Instead, we bought new ones, because of the value and quality. Sure, I take a rachet in once in a while, but when a tool goes to the track for 15 years and eventually wears out, I figure I got my 20 bucks worth, and I go out and get a new one. When you buy a rachet, and beat the hell out of it, how long do you think it will last? How many times do you think you should get a free one? If Sears gives all of us a replacement for a 40 year old tool for LIFE, they won't last long. The reason they need to go overseas is to continue to give you free tools, while you complain about the American job market going down. You spend $100 a MONTH for your tv and phone. Can't you spend $1 a year for a rachet that you beat to death? Like this horse?
Sear's had gone own hill with the craftsman line of tools. Before replaced no questions ask off the floor.now they want to send tools in . I buy nothing but snap on with the same dealer for over 10 years,Snap on dealers use to replaced or repair tools on truck no hassles. Now they want to send it in and replace way expensive usa made tools at their discretion, with cheaper china made one.
If you sell quality mechandise you would think that you would be proud to stand behind it. If I bought a used car with a Sears battery and it went bad within the warrantee period, they wouldnt replace it because I wasnt the original purchaser. I bought the battery with the car. It wasnt free. Sears makes every effort to dodge the warrantee instead of honoring it. A lifetime warrantee on tools wont mean much when they are no longer in business.
How about a thread for the tools that sears no longer makes. I bought a lot of their professional pliers and channel locks, that they no longer carry. It's sad to think that the company might go away but I believe that craftsman name will carry on after sears. If you notice in the last couple of years they sell at different places now like at summit racing and K-mart.
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