30+ years ago…Kenmore had a better warranty then anyone else. Yes they were made by someone else…but hen Sears backed the product. Same with Craftsman tools. They had the best warranty for consumers around. To have that warranty - Sears demanded a high quality of their products. 30-40 years ago you couldn’t go wrong buying a Kenmore or Craftsman tools.
Today - it’s a different story.
I used to buy all craftsman lawn and garden tools . . . hoses, weeders, rakes, etc. because of the lifetime warranty
I took advantage of the warranty a few times, and at that point, it was worth it.
I was actually particularly impressed with the garden shears
My tenant’s house had several Kenmore appliances. The refrigerator lasted several years, and then quit. The range also quit after several years, the oven part of it, actually, not worth fixing. I went with different replacement brands, because I don’t want to buy a soon-to-be-orphan brand
To keep it car-related, one of my former colleagues almost exclusively used craftsman tools, and they mostly worked for him. Occasionally, a craftsman socket wouldn’t fit well enough to accomplish the job, though. He flagged a lot of hours, but there was a steep price to pay. He didn’t work safely, and he didn’t heed his body’s warning signs. He messed up his back and wrist permanently, and even after he was eventually declared fit, he never was the same, and often re-injured his back and wrist
He also put a snap-on logo on his craftsman tool box, he figured that either made it worth more, or at least made it look more expensive
But he also had somewhat unpleasant quality. he constantly borrowed other guy’s tools, and I’m talking hand tools, not specialty stuff. I was always told, borrow once, then buy it. I guess he wasn’t around for that lesson 
He’s a self-made billionaire. I’m not. I don’t feel qualified to second guess him.
He’s a self made billionaire as a Hedge Fund Manager…NOT at running a fortune 500 company with several thousand employees. One skill set does not equate to the other.
People who are in the know are the ones I’m getting my information from.
I ran businesses. Successfully.
I’ve also put together an LBO.
I also know that hedge fund managers are riverboat gamblers.
What I don’t know is the massive details and analysis that was behind his purchase. Or his management plans for the businesses. Nobody can just plop down a check and buy a massive company. Or call his pals to get their checks to buy a company. A whole lot goes on before that happens.
You may be right. But I lack the in-depth knowledge to know for sure.
I do, however, suspect that he may have underestimated how bad Sears’ situation was. But I have no way of knowing.
I suspect that Lambert did not buy Sears and K-Mart to continue the business, but to sell the parts for more than he bought them for. He has been willing to run the businesses while he finds suitable buyers. It’s certainly not the first time that has been done. The Disney family has done that with numerous businesses. They buy them, sell the inventory, then sell the company to another company. This was done with Mrs Filberts. They eventually sold it to what is now Lipton.
Jt, I suspect that you’re correct. His analysis may have determined that their brands were worth more individually than their company as a whole. It’s possible that he’s already made his money off of Sears and Kmart. We’ll never know.
Well when he warned recently that Sears may not make it to the end of the year, I suspect he knows what shape the place is in now if he didn’t before.
Yup. But I suspect he may have known when he made the purchase. As Jt said, buying and parting-out a company where the value of the parts is greater than the value of the whole is not at all uncommon.
Hello. Seems this discussion has gone a bit off topic to corporate health vs. tools.
And we have another post that was kidnapped from a question about oil filters, to Mexican Coke?
Tester
OK, I’m on the edge between tools and corporate operations. Back in 1967 I needed to buy my first 1/2" ratchet wrench. I looked at both Wards and Sears. I chose the Wards wrench because it had the rubber grip which was more comfortable. Both were guaranteed for life. Served me well until about 1995 when I broke it using a long pipe extension on it. Threw it away. Wards had already closed for business. So much for the lifetime guarantee, plus it was abuse. So a lifetime warranty means the lifetime of either the tool or the business, whichever comes first. The older I get though the less I’m concerned with lifetime warranties. I actually can’t remember where I bought my replacement wrench.
Did I miss it though, or did we ever find out just what kind of tools was being required?
I don’t think so, also the type of employment may not have been mentioned either. Kinda makes recommendations difficult without that info.
Black and Decker bought the Craftsman name and is starting to sell the tools in Lowes.
They have been selling that line at Ace Hardware for several years, but anytime I’ve looked, the prices are so much higher that I just go to the farm store for acceptable wrenches and sockets. I think B&D probably paid too much for the brand and is now trying to get their money back. They did not realize the brand was on a slide.
Tools for yourself:
I recently had a new furnace, water heater, and insulation added. I asked one of the workers, “Where should I buy tools for my own use?” Answer: “Harbor freight does have good prices, but their tools aren’t always the best. Go to Sears/K-Mart, Lowe’s, or Home Depot for tools. The lower-priced tools are also lower in quality” Craftsman (which is now owned by Stanley), DeWalt (also owned by Stanley), Bosch, Milwaukee, Hitachi, or Makita; most of these tools are found in big box, and local hardware stores; and, any Sears/K-Mart that is still open.
SBD isn’t stupid. They made a lot of the tools sold under the Craftsman name. They continue to sell Craftsman tools and get to do it at Ace, Lowes, and Sears for as long as Sears continues to exist. They didn’t lose a big customer, they bought it and extended its life.
Sears doesn’t honor the lifetime Craftsman guarantee as nicely as they usd to, either. And a lot of the new tools are labelled differently and not covered by the former guarantee.
The Ace Hardware near me doesn’t have the same sales that Sears still has.
The set I just got said that I can return any defective tool to any Sears for any reason and receive a replacement on the spot (paraphrasing, I’ll try to remember to take a picture of it when I get home later). Granted, the number of Sears stores is rapidly approaching 0 (though my great aunt owns a Sears Hometown store and confirmed that she would honor that warranty). I’ll have to check Craftsman’s website to see if this warranty will transfer from Sears to any other carrier of Craftsman parts