Sears/Craftsman/USA=ripoff

Status
Not open for further replies.
Originally Posted By: Trav
It was a tool for advanced DIY and guys starting out in the business.

Craftsman was never high end but they were good mid priced tools.........


Actually, Trav, I remember (40+ years ago) seeing Craftsman tools in professional's tool boxes. I have an older combo wrench set that has much thinner handles (stronger steel) and better formed box ends than recent raised panel wrenches. They even had a professional/industrial marketing level that catered to the pros....my workplace used to buy from them.

It is sad to see the Craftsman tools go this way. I hesitate to even buy even the US stuff now, thinking that if I have to warranty it down the road, it will be replaced with China stuff.

As one poster recently said here, we are providing China the rope to hang ourselves with.
 
Interesting. I wonder how they compared to Snap-On, Proto, Wright, Armstong etc back then? Now you mention it i remember reading about some of those companies making the Craftsman tools.

Quote:
I hesitate to even buy even the US stuff now, thinking that if I have to warranty it down the road, it will be replaced with China stuff.


That's my big concern also about some really decent older Craftsman ratchets i have. With Chinese guts they are nothing better than cheap Chinese junk.
I already threw away a couple of newer Craftman ratchets and can see the rest eventually going in the same bin if they break. Sad!
 
Originally Posted By: mcshooter
another store no longer have us tools is lowes. they are tiawan tools. i will have to look at wright tools. i did not know they still existed. i have a set of there sockets i got back in 1960. iam also not a guy who complains about no us made tools and drives a foreign made auto..


I'm a big fan of US and German tools. I have a lot of Snap-on stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Who is willing to raise his hands and say "$46 for 115 piece set" is "USA" price?


You sure that's not the evolve line price you are quoting?
 
Not Evolve but USA Craftsman; I have not personally purchased that kit but I did purchase a bigger and better 153 piece USA Craftsman kit for $55 year or so ago.

I appreciated being able to buy them that dirt cheap but I understand that I am really only entitled to cheap chinese quality when I consider how little I paid for them. I know for sure that the price paid can not support manufacturing in USA.

Bottom line is if you want to purchase USA tools, you should be paying USA prices. All of us having been paying non-USA prices for Craftsman stuff for a while. We made the pact with the devil. I am just amused at feigned outrage when the manufacturing has shifted overseas.

I am betting that the person who started this topic did NOT pay USA prices for his set.

- Vikas
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I am betting that the person who started this topic did NOT pay USA prices for his set.


You seem to be arguing semantics here. If I go to Sears and purchase a Craftsman tool set that is Made in USA, I paid the "USA price" for it regardless of the price.

You are implying that there is some kind of "USA price" and "China price" and that they are necessarily different. While I agree that the "USA price" will be higher on most items than the "China price", it is what it is here. You can't say "oh you paid China price on that wrench, it's just a perk it was made in the US".

It's not like the price of Craftsman tools (individually, let's not get into sets here because they've always been a huge discount over individual items) has DROPPED or even remained constant in the past 10-15 years. Yet 10-15 years ago the discussion wasn't being made over Chinese vs. US made Craftsman tools.

My point is that you imply that suddenly everyone is scooping up all things Craftsman for Harbor Freight prices. The tool sets have always been massively discounted. It isn't something new to coincide with their outsourcing.
 
I agree with cchase...

If you bought it here, it is a USA Price.

I am sure that iPhone purchasers don't want to pay the China Price for that phone.

China Price/USA Price is pointless in this discussion.
 
My point was that in the long run china prices can not sustain usa manufacturing. When Craftsman prices (on sale/clearance) and HF prices (with coupon) are not too far apart, how can you not expect similar quality?

$0.99 Craftsman socket (effectively) sold at Sears implies that it will have be (eventually) manufactured in low wage country even if this particular piece was manufactured here in the past.

You mentioned ignoring sets; on the contrary most of us buy only sets and only when they have good discounts. It is also not my impression that Craftsman tools have gone up in price over the years. I bought my first socket set from Craftsman over twenty five years ago and I think I paid about $20 then. I also purchased my first metric wrench set for about the same price during that time frame. It was (and is) far better set than the one I had picked up from local hardware store. Compared to what I had used before (Gadore, India) Craftsman sets were significantly better. I do not believe that Craftsman prices have gone up during that time frame.

Oh well, we have flogged this dead horse too long ...

- Vikas
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
My point was that in the long run china prices can not sustain usa manufacturing. When Craftsman prices (on sale/clearance) and HF prices (with coupon) are not too far apart, how can you not expect similar quality?



This.

The point is that some random Sears executive buyer/ purchaser
arranged to sell those items at an artificially low price point. Obviously not taking into account the cost of manufacturing in the US v China.

I have a feeling that if the origin of manufacturer was displayed prominently on the consumer packaging it would change buying habits.

I have to believe it is almost an agenda to purposely down play the origin even though I think many consumers in the US would like to know where the products they buy come from in the world. You know part of the world trade agenda being forced on the US public.
 
I went to sears to look for ratcheting wrenches. Why should I pay a penny more for Gear Head brand (all made in China) when I can get the same at H.F for less? Alas I bought USA made ratcheting wrenches from Wright. Paid a little more but they are worth it both in quality and peace of mind.

Here is a surprise, I found a new line of Bostitch compressors made in the USA. They look alot like DeWalts D55168 model except for the color amd labeling.
 
Sears/crafstman makes cheap chinese [censored]. My dad had a push mower that had the [censored] wheels fall of in 2 years. It was unbelievable the parts breaking of the thing and how bad it rusted. Cheap chinese steel/ metals. It is everywhere now.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
In recent years Wal-Mart spent about 17 billion with China suppliers. In those same years Wal-Mart spent about 179 billion with USA suppliers. FAR more USA made stuff then China made stuff is sold at Wal-Mart. USA still manufactures many times more then what China does. www.walmartfacts.com.

With that said I'm extremely upset with the way USA products are being sent over seas. If it keeps up China will pass us up. I'll be calling Sears this week to give them an ear full about Craftsmen!!!!!!


One of the first critical thinking skills is to consider the source. Do you think WalMart's PR arm (who runs walmartfacts.com) would really say "we spend more in China than the USA"??
 
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL

Find me some American made kids toys or American made cloths and shoes. Find me an American made TV, stereo, gaming console, or computer. And then tell me how those numbers are possible.


Some New Balances are made here:
http://www.classicsportshoes.com/new-balance-1300.html (IMHO ugly but made here)
http://www.shopnewbalance.com/information/madeinusa.asp

Prices are a little higher than other running shoes but not that far out of line.

I think Chppwea and SAS still make stuff here too.

American Apparel still makes a bunch of clothes here.

There's a fairly comprehensive list here:
http://americansworking.com/index.html
 
Overkill was referring to products at Walmart, not in general. New Balance has already been discussed here too.

This is the Energizer bunny thread.
 
Got a 6 drawer tool box used for overflow of tools. Can't even lock it and it's a ball bearing unit. Have a washer/dryer that's 19 yrs old but I don't give the tool box that long.
 
After reading this post https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/chinese-vs-usa-craftsman-rp-ratchets-pics.165650/ I went and found a 1/4" "made in USA" craftsman ratchet to replace one that got stolen. I bought it, but when I got home and removed it from the package, it was broken. I took it back for an exchange, but they would not give me a new one. They would only replace it with a used "repaired" wrench. I have better service at Harbor freight buying Chinese junk, than at Sears.

Does anyone know if Ace Hardware, K-mart, or OSH replaces Craftsmen wrenches? They sell them.
 
Originally Posted By: Loobed

After reading this post https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/chinese-vs-usa-craftsman-rp-ratchets-pics.165650/ I went and found a 1/4" "made in USA" craftsman ratchet to replace one that got stolen. I bought it, but when I got home and removed it from the package, it was broken. I took it back for an exchange, but they would not give me a new one. They would only replace it with a used "repaired" wrench. I have better service at Harbor freight buying Chinese junk, than at Sears.

Does anyone know if Ace Hardware, K-mart, or OSH replaces Craftsmen wrenches? They sell them.


I smell a rat....you just bought it, it was broken out of the package but they wouldn't take it back for a refund or exchange? That is not Sears.
crazy.gif


I'm not saying you're lying, but your story doesn't add up. You need to get more creative.
wink.gif
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

buck91
Vintage craftsman parts?
Replies
7
Views
487
buck91
I
Rebuilding a floor jack, Craftsman 50145, ran into a problem
Replies
1
Views
388
ajchien
C
Time to buy more tools
Replies
15
Views
2K
Snagglefoot
W
Sears Craftsman Lawn Tractor
Replies
14
Views
528
Donald
D
VIM Tools warranty disappointment
Replies
11
Views
2K
D60
Back
Top Bottom