[Old Blue 66]

http://bestride.com/news/entertainme...ells-craftsman

I dont mind the Craftsman tools. But now there isn't a single reason to step foot in Sears. And I'm thankful.

[The Champ]

I didn't mind Craftsman tools - 20 years ago.

I wouldn't buy a Craftsman anything today.

When the replacement tools they replaced under their lifetime warranty were half the quality of the 10 - 20 year old tools, I gave up on Craftsman.

[gtohurstjudge]

Sears will be completely out of business a year from now........Amazon
has put all the big box retailers out of business. The problem with this is
that soon there will be no competition and Amazon will be able to charge whatever
they want, and a few people will become trillionaires who are in Amazon management while everybody else makes minimum wage.

[RocktimusPryme]

I kinda thought craftsman was the only thing keeping them afloat.

[stu72]

I agree, craftsman tools have almost come a thing of the past. I struggle to find hand tools that have a good rreturn policy. I could buy from the trucks but they are over priced and not always available when I need them. I truly believe in America made tools but tuff to find within reason locally.

[mgarblik]

I am near 60 and have Craftsman tools my grandfather left me when he passed. I have a Craftsman floor drill press from the early 50's and it is a quality tool. Just like everything else, the quality of Craftsman tools has diminished slowly over the last 30 years. Same can be said for almost everything. Craftsman and Kenmore were the names that gave people a REASON to shop at Sears. These names were the most valuable Trade Marks Sears had left. There is no reason whatsoever to shop there now. I don't think it will be 1 year but I bet in 5, Sears will be just like Pontiac, a distant memory of everything that can go wrong in business when you float along ignoring the competition and listening to all the yes men telling you what a great job you are doing. With Stanley buying the name, you can be sure the tools will be real crap in a few years.

[Bob Rutledge]

If you are looking for decent tools at a decent price and a great return policy, Kobalt at Lowes. They also have about 1800 stores nation wide so it is usually pretty easy to find a Lowes for return if you have to.

[mgarblik]

Kobalt tools, sold through Lowes are manufactured by Williams Tool Co. Williams was purchased by Snap-on about 10 years ago. Good mid-line quality tools, about on par with Blue Point stuff. Great pricing through sales and so forth. Not nearly as extensive a line of tools as Craftsman once had, but that brand is dead.

[Captainofiron]

how the times have changed.

I actually bought a refrigerator at Sears early last year, but only because they had a price match and beat by 10% AND they let you use the 20% off for applying and using a sears card.

So we got the fridge MUCH cheaper than anywhere else.

But it was totally empty, maybe 5 workers on the bottom floor, pretty creepy, felt like I was Omega Man, haha

[Andre]

For the life of me I can't seem to find a set of case hardened tip phiillips head screw drivers. All of them seem to be chrome plated soft metal that become junk when they encounter the first rusty screw. Any suggestions?

[67drake]

Originally Posted by The Champ

I didn't mind Craftsman tools - 20 years ago.

I wouldn't buy a Craftsman anything today.

When the replacement tools they replaced under their lifetime warranty were half the quality of the 10 - 20 year old tools, I gave up on Craftsman.

Yup. Pure garbage.
I see the same thing though with my Snap-On tools. The pieces I've replaced that I bought 30+ years ago,the new ones are junk. Don't get me started about Snap-Off screwdrivers. They were junk 30 years ago.

[Sirrotica]

Mike, they already are real crap, have been for years.

Having turned wrenches most of my life I have spent an extraordinary amount of money on MAC, Snap On, Cornwell, etc. After having went through a divorce I had all my tools stored in a storage facility because I was living in a apartment. Thieves broke in and stole most all of my name brand tools.

At that point in my life I was driving 18 wheelers for a living and wasn't going to spend thousands of dollars to replace all my name brand tools. I looked hard at all the mid priced alternatives, and found that Stanley hand tools are better than most of the other stuff out there. Yes it's mostly made in Taiwan, however Taiwan is known for better quality merchandise than China is.

I'm not sure if you realize it, Stanley makes tools for lots of other brand names. Husky (Home Depot) is one that comes to mind. So if they work fine for myself (someone that made their living with hand tools most of my adult life). I think the Stanley line is head and shoulders over sears crap, lot of yellow tool holders in my toolbox at this point. I believe Stanley will make better tools than whomever is making crapsman stuff at this point

I quit buying Craftsman tools in 1977 over a dispute in store from them not replacing or repairing a breaker bar.

Stanley may be one of the subcontractors that makes some of sears tools even now, but they make them to sears specs, which as can be seen, aren't very high standards.

I've been using quite a bit of Stanley stuff for the last 15 years or so and really have no complaints. Same lifetime warranty as sears too, wally world can supply you with most anything Stanley 24-7. I think Stanley will actually be a better grade of tool than sears is currently selling.

Just my observations and experience.

[tripower]

Originally Posted by Andre

For the life of me I can't seem to find a set of case hardened tip phiillips head screw drivers. All of them seem to be chrome plated soft metal that become junk when they encounter the first rusty screw. Any suggestions?

Yes Snap-On. Snap-On screwdrivers have the hardened tips with added groves that I think add bite into the screw you are trying to get loose. I've been able to get rusted Phillips head screws out with Snap-On screwdrivers that would have been rounded out with Craftsmen screwdriver or other brand. I would assume there are other good ones besides SO too.

You can probably find a decent used or new set on EBay for around 1/2 catalog price. Worth it in my opinion.

[David Jones]

Bye bye Sears, unless they have some sort of distribution agreement with Stanley and will keep selling products named Craftsman. Poor quality or not.

The only Sears in the area is one of the anchors at the local "Galleria" mall. The store has been there for decades. The upstairs area is about half used up with things named Craftsman and I'm struggling to believe that they'd sell that away completely.

[scott70]

Bought a Stanley assorted sockets and wrenches a few years ago. The 1/4" ratchet almost instantly broke,,the 3/8" followed soon and the 1/2" flip flops from forward to reverse on its own,,,junk! If stanley bought craftsman than theres another company i wont buy from again. Ive got a bunch of old craftsman stuff thats still going strong.

[Simple Man]

Originally Posted by RocktimusPryme

I kinda thought craftsman was the only thing keeping them afloat.

Craftsman, Kenmore, and Die Hard, are the names everyone associates with Sears.

[ssj71]

Mom worked for Sears (Penn Center - Pittsburgh store) from 1966 through 1988, so my family has a very long history with Sears. It actually used to be a family outing for us when her store had a restaurant in the back. Loved going there for food as a kid.

Sadly, that store closed years ago.

What amazes me is the management's inability to adapt, just like Amazon and Walmart have done. Both business have been on full display to show Sears how to succeed, yet they've failed miserably. They've shown the way forward, yet Sears didn't bother. They seem like a very slow moving ship with years of habits that they refuse to change.

Additionally, their website is a non-competitive mess. No bargains, not in the same league on pricing as Walmart or Amazon, and just a sloppy mess to navigate, IMO. There's no reason why they can't be more in line with their competitors, but they aren't. I've simply stopped using their website when I go and do some price-comparison shopping, and that, to me, is killing them.

I also don't want to deal with perks, points, and other retailer games. Just give me the best price and some decent sale prices and I'll buy from you, preferably online.

Sad to see such a great American staple like Sears sink like this...

[GTOnly70]

Sears sold the Craftsman brand, it doesn't mean they will stop carrying the product.

Regardless, Sears is in a death spiral and I believe they'll be out of business in 2-3 years. It's been a long time coming and Walmart had more to do with their decline than Amazon.

I worked for the Sears at the Whitehall Mall in Pa during the summer of '84. I was on a retrofit crew as the store was being remodeled and was basically paid to tear down stuff and get rid of it. Fun job. One day I was assigned with another guy from my crew to help hang lights in the lighting department. Worked with two old codgers there that were career Sears salesmen - had been there for about 30 years. Don't see that anymore.

Remember paging thru the huge Sears catalog at Christmas time? I used to pick out which toys, what color Tough skin jeans, and what NFL jacket I wanted and hoped to get a fraction of my list. Those old Christmas catalogs can bring $50 each now on Ebay...

[60sstuff]

I remember as a boy going with my Dad to Sears all the time. I loved going there!

He purchased all his tools, appliances and some of his guns there. Some of my BB guns came from there.

Over the decades I bought all my Craftsman tools from there and they still serve me well.

I recently purchased a phillips screw driver from my local quality hardware store. It's a "Klein Tools" with a hardened tip and nice grip. Made in the USA.

Times change and "Amazon is really changing the times". I just made a purchase from them this morning.

Note, this is just another reason I go out to the garage to view my GTO's, NOS parts, BB guns, vintage skate boards and other stuff from the 50's, 60's because it takes me back to the good days.

[Dennis H.]

We are definitely seeing a change of history, going or gone are the staples of our past who all had automotive services-Montgomery Wards, Penny's, Western Auto, K-mart, Ventures, Otasco, Sears, I know there are more, just cannot think of them right now. I think this is a sad time in our lives, I do not embrace the future.