the company bought Chinese chain binders. brand new they would not stay closed, while 40 yr old U.S. madeones were still great. shortly after the state made that type of binder illegal. I m sure it was because the inferior Chinese ones had come loose and caused major accidents. the new type were terrible. but I guess they were china proof
we re being driven to the lowest common denominator
I did not read all 40 some odd replies so I hope I am not redundant but I would like to weigh in.
I too have a lot of Craftsman tools. My first tools were Craftsman. They were well made and had a life time warrantee. A warrantee that you can actually use. You did not have to mail in your original receipt or prove there was no abuse. Just take it to your Sears and no questions asked. Not any longer. They ask questions and if they sense abuse they say no. They will try to have you rebuild your worn ratchet with by giving you a new mechanism. That was not the original deal.
I was given a Craftman screw driver set for Xmas last year and I used the brand new #2 Philips on a stubborn screw and the cross on the tool stripped out. What a joke! Itâs lost some of its integrity.
All of this for Corporate efficiencies! No sense of patriotism, pride or community, or even ethics in some cases. It is just about making an extra penny and using accounting gimmicks to work the system while our lawmakers pave the way for them.
Sears use to be a great retailer and it is being driven into the ground. They may not even be around in a few years.
If you look at this Market Basket issue that is now in the national news you will see some still do it right and with integrity and a long term view. They align corporate interests with employee and customer interests. The company is growing and profitable. The customers are happy, the employees are paid above industries norms. The management earns the loyalty of the workers. Maybe the owners are not super Billionaires but they are still very wealthy.
This is the model that needs to be studied in all business schools.
In the end, I still have a good feeling about Craftsman. I think they can make a good comeback with some hard work and some culture change⊠but for now I no longer blindly buy their tools with out some shopping around and on line research.
Yeah, I like Craftsman (all purchased many years ago).
When I was young, in the Jurassic period, Craftsman were some of the best hand tools on the market. While theyâre still perfectly good tools, theyâre clearly no longer among the best. But I have to blame simple economics. Most people cannot afford SnapOns, and Craftsman provides a perfectly good homeowner tool, much better than most of the âgenericâ tools, at a price that most homeowners can afford.
Iâve noticed that Craftsman is now being sold at Ace Hardware stores. Iâm guessing thatâs a sign of Sears having long-term problems. Time will tell.
Re: Market Basket, IMHO Arthur T. had learned from his dad (who learned from HIS dad), the feed formula that enabled the hen to lay golden eggs. Arthur S. clearly never did. Unfortunately, there seem to be far more CEOs in the U.S. who follow the Arthur S. methods than there are that follow the Arthur T. methods. They see a hen that lays golden eggs, so they steal it and try to beat it into laying more golden eggs while starving it to take more of the rewards for themselves. Arthur S. has finagled himself a $1.5Billion payday, but itâll take years for the henâs injuries to heal. Letâs hope they can. Letâs hope the hen doesnât require too many amputations to live.
At about 14 or so, Dad got me a set of Craftsman. Just a one-handed gray tool box with US wrenches, sockets, pliers, screwdrivers, and drill.
When they stole my big Waterloo tool chest out of my garage, the small box was in the truck at the time with most of the small stuff in it. But the thieves got away with the Craftsman metal cased 3/8 drill . âŠI was heartbroken 
I still have them. Iâm 58
Yes, China can make good products but the problem is you never know what you are getting. The parts can look identical to well made ones but be totally worthless. Even the DOD has had problems getting reliable electronic parts from China. They have no idea which electronic systems in defense systems have defective parts until you try to use them. Fasteners for bridges can all look the same but be total junk and we use them all over. Not to mention taking any product we have and reverse engineering it regardless of patents. Yes they can build good quality but you simply canât depend on them.
The problem with finding someone who can machine and cast parts is that without manufacturing, you lose the skills that are necessary not to mention having the equipment to do the casting. You have to maintain a base level of manufacturing in order have that minimum level of skills and equipment to build on. Thatâs the real cost for out-sourced goods that are not reflected in the price.
@Triedaqâ
You make a good point . . . for you a fluke meter doesnât make sense, because you wouldnât use it enough.
I use it several times a week, so it makes sense for me
On the other hand, it doesnât make sense for me to buy top of the line plumbing tools, because Iâm not a plumber. Realistically, I might use them a few times a year.
In the end, we all need to justify our tool purchases, and the amount we spend on them
Thatâs how I see it, for what itâs worth
Jay Lenoâs Garage video series on you tube is really cool. He has a 3d printer, but I think itâs for plastic. Metal printing is the future https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zknjvQtn6e4
@wesw, interdependence can be a good thing, too. It reduces the urge to solve issues through confrontation because that would hurt the aggressor too. I realize it has been a long time, but 200 years ago the Brits were our worst enemy. Today they are one of our best friends. Fighting together in the two world wars and economic collaboration made that happen. Common heritage doesnât heart either, but it wasnât at all important 200 years ago, and then they could probably tell you who their British relatives were.
K-Mart is aslso offering a small line of craftsman tools. I happened to spot the 1/2 inch deep impact socket set andvtook a good look. My 1/2 deep SAE are a mix of all different companies and I think only two sockets are really impact sockets.
Theisze stamp was so small on these sockets that Iâd have to put on my glasses to read it.
So K-Mart is not selling the sets with the nice 1/2 inch high lazer etching on the side.
I think you can still buy a good product if you go right to a sears store. But if you are looking for a cheap setâŠ
I read a sign once at a Feed Mill (which are almost as hard to find as good tools).
If you want good oats youâll have to pay a little more.
If you want the cheap oatsâŠwe can arrange that too.
They are always a little cheaper after going thru the horse.
Yosemite
interdependence is okay with people you trust and have common beliefs with.
depending on people who want to cut off your head âŠ, not so good.
I d rather be trading with india or Australia or Canada.
Saudi Arabia and china I don t want to depend on
@WheresRick You are probably sending this post form a Chinese made computer and a Chinese keyboard. I agree with others that manufacturing is a moving target; early US tools all came form England, then acknowledged to be the sources of superior products. Iâve had 3 Dell computers; the first one came form Austin, Texas, the next one from Penang, Malaysia and the last one came from China!
Since manufactturing costs are now lower in Mexico than in China, you will see more and more products coming from there. Our wide screen Panasonic TV said âHecho en Mexicoâ, from imported parts of course.
Going through my tool box and workbench, I have tools from âWest Germanyâ, Sweden, Canada, Holland, Japan, the USA, Portugal (wine corker), Italy, Great Britain, and even China. Theyâre all good; but the pruning shears from China are uncomfortable on the hands.
The best saws typically are from Sweden. As mentioned, Japanese stuff used to be marginal, but thanks to Edward Deming (once reviled by the US car industry) they learned to make world class stuff. The same is happening to China.
A friend of my wife was horrified to find out that her favorite china pattern was no longer made in England, but, horror of horors, it was âmade in CHINAâ
I keep track of all new items we buy and most, about 60% now come from China.
My prize posession in my office, however, is a 40 year old stapler made in Sweden. Itâs an Apsco, and has a cast aluminum body and rounded edges so itâs easy on the hands. It had never jammed!
The future of Sears itself is unknown; their business model points them into the sunset.
âGoing through my tool box and workbench, I have tools from âWest Germanyâ, Sweden, Canada, Holland, Japan, the USA, Portugal (wine corker),â
A wine corker in the toolbox, huh? For those really tough problems that require some strategic thinking?
@asemaster Part of my basement is workshop, wine bottling area, and wine cellar. I make my own wine and have a temperature controlled (55F) wine cellar storage for 600+ bottles. Right now Iâm down to 150 bottles and have 75 more waiting to be bottled. We have our own wine labels as well.
Our best reds are Chateau Neuf du Papes, Cabernet Sauvignons, and Malbecs. For juice we use French, Californian (Napa Valley), Chilean and some Australian.
Our whites are Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay.
Can I use your workshop sometime ? 
nbpt100 I have a story concerning the old Sears, and Craftsman tools. I was 16 years old in 1968. I managed to break one of my Dadâs 1/2in drive Craftsman sockets trying to loosen an over torqued lug nut. I was scared! Went to Sears hoping to purchase a replacement. I took the broken socket to insure getting an exact replacement. I set the broken socket on the counter and asked the clerk if they had one like it in stock. He opened a drawer and produced a brand new one. He handed it to me and said âthere you goâ. I asked what the price was. He gave me a funny look and said âNothing. Craftsman tools have a lifetime unconditional guarantyâ. That resulted in my buying many Craftsman tools in the future.
@WheresRick You are probably sending this post form a Chinese made computer and a Chinese keyboard. I agree with others that manufacturing is a moving target; early US tools all came form England, then acknowledged to be the sources of superior products. I've had 3 Dell computers; the first one came form Austin, Texas, the next one from Penang, Malaysia and the last one came from China!
@Docnickâ
Sadly you are right. I am typing this on a Chinese Dell laptop. I will say my desktop is assembled in America out of American made and Chinese parts. but I have a genuine Made in the USA Unicomp Buckling spring tactile keyboard. I spent 80 plus dollars on the keyboard, but its worth every penny. Its very high quality.
I also drive a Japanese made car, and now I have a Japanese van as well but its made close to my house, right here in Indiana.
I agree many Chinese tools are good quality, however the problem I have is that many are not and I feel the Chinese craftsman tools are of lesser quality albeit at a lessor price.
I try to buy US Made products when they fit my needs and are available.
@WheresRick Nothing wrong with your lifestyle and purchasing habits. In college I was one of the first in the camera club to have a Japanese camera, and was a bit of a laughing g stock; until I produced pictures just as good and even won a prize.
My friends, who were well heeled, had Hasselblads (Swedish), Leicas, Rolleicords (German), Swiss movie cameras (Bolex), US news cameras (Speed Graphic), US made Argus and Bell & Howell 35 mm units, etc. Of those only Leica and Hasselblad survive. The Japanese took the industry away from the Germans, Swiss, and Americans. The rest is history. The Swiss virtually lost the watch industry as well.
I had one US watch (Hamilton), 3 Swiss watches, then went Japanese with Seiko. Now returning with Timex Ironman Triathlon made in the Phillipines.
Good tools are a luxury but not a necessity. I used to play a lot of pool. Ran into a guy once that was harping on us for bringing our own sticks. The gauntlet was tossed down and he picked up a broken bar cue. Not just a little broken, almost snapped in half with about a foot bent off at a 30 degree angle. He proceeded to run the table on almost everyone in the bar. When he didnât outright run it, you were lucky to get two chances. It was then I realized the quality of the tool had little impact on the result for someone with real skillsâŠ