Sears sells Craftsman tool brand to Stanley tools

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sears Holdings (including Sears and Kmart) are in the final stages of failure in what has been called the longest going out of business event in business history. Once a business begins a fire sale of it's iconic brands such as Craftsman (Kenmore and Diehard are soon to follow) then it's pretty much over, especially when those brands are the only recognizable brands left of the business.

Sears had every opportunity to be a major player in the retail industry, but for the last decade has been so poorly managed that any recovery at this point is impossible. No business can be in a perpetual state of decline for a decade and survive. Walk into any Sears or Kmart and they have all of the charm of a dollar store without the low prices-most are reminiscent of department stores in the old Soviet Union.

As long as it continues to stay open, Sears (and Kmart) do nothing for the communities that once made this one of America’s most successful companies. The sooner they fade into oblivion the better off everyone will be.
 
My daughter gave me a (plastic snap in case deal) Craftsman tool set (I did not really need) - asked her if she got at Sears ?
Nope, Amazon ... guess I'll just leave it at the bay and not have to fetch sockets from my truck.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Sears Holdings (including Sears and Kmart) are in the final stages of failure in what has been called the longest going out of business event in business history. Once a business begins a fire sale of it's iconic brands such as Craftsman (Kenmore and Diehard are soon to follow) then it's pretty much over, especially when those brands are the only recognizable brands left of the business.

Sears had every opportunity to be a major player in the retail industry, but for the last decade has been so poorly managed that any recovery at this point is impossible. No business can be in a perpetual state of decline for a decade and survive. Walk into any Sears or Kmart and they have all of the charm of a dollar store without the low prices-most are reminiscent of department stores in the old Soviet Union.

As long as it continues to stay open, Sears (and Kmart) do nothing for the communities that once made this one of America’s most successful companies. The sooner they fade into oblivion the better off everyone will be.



I could not agree more. I won't even go in a Kmart anymore and they only time I set foot in a Sears is to return something someone bought me from there.

The desperation within these stores permeates. They've failed to keep up with society in every facet.

The skylines will look better once these buildings have been demolished.
 
Originally Posted By: 4WD


Good luck finding USA made tools the average American would pay for.


Good luck finding anything made USA that actually holds up. The best tools I've owned have been the older stuff I got from my grandpa. All the newer stuff is cheap junk. Even Snap-On is not worth the hype. I've broken many snap-on sockets. Sure they have a lifetime warranty, but so does the stuff from Home Depot, which is easier to get and cheaper initially.
 
The only screw drivers I could use professionally and not kill were the Snap ons and the Matcos made in Germany by Wera.

Craftsman has never manufactured tools...they have always been contracted. Of late they are made by the Dahner corp...owners of Matco. Make no mistake though they build Craftsman to a price and they are not the equal of Matco in most regards. That being said Craftsman tools are generally excellent and anybody who thinks professionals don't use them has never been in a shop.

Every Snap On, Matco, and Mac box I've ever seen has had more than a couple Craftsman tools in it...mine included. Their sockets are excelent, the RP style wrenches while short last a lifetime of hard use. Their ratchets can't hold a candle to the dual-80 or Matco but what can...

FWIW...the tool version of BITOG is Garagejournal.com...check it out.
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Originally Posted By: 4WD


Good luck finding USA made tools the average American would pay for.


Good luck finding anything made USA that actually holds up. The best tools I've owned have been the older stuff I got from my grandpa. All the newer stuff is cheap junk. Even Snap-On is not worth the hype. I've broken many snap-on sockets. Sure they have a lifetime warranty, but so does the stuff from Home Depot, which is easier to get and cheaper initially.


Snap on is worth the hype...if you know anything about tools. If your breaking Snap-on tools its not the tools fault. They are the best money can buy PERIOD...any nothing you can buy at home depot, sears, walmart or Harbor Freight is in the same league. This is not opinion. The only way they break with any regularity is by using chrome sockets on impact guns...which happens all the time. You can kill ANY ratchet with a cheater bar long enough too.

Im not saying you can't get good tools elsewhere...you can. But Snap-on tools are not just simply "good"
 
Good point - my Klein tools stay in a Klein backpack so that my helpers (or me) don't do stupid things with them. I'll bust up the throw away Stanley or Craftsman for dumb stuff - and if I abused it I don't take it back. Sleep better that way.
 
I agree on SnapOn - my post said average American (who can't afford them unless they make a living turning wrenches.)
We have F450 panels loaded with them - out in the boondocks mechanics really want the good stuff ...
 
In the 60's I went to A&E school at San Diego City College. They gave us a tool list and the local Sears store gave us a ripping deal on their Craftsman tools. I remember that myself and others never even considered any other brand. Craftsman tools was the choice.

Oh, by the way I still have those tools and a few more. I think I've gotten my money's worth and more out of those original tools. It's sad to see this new world and all the changes in the economy since those days.

One other memory. While a friend an I were drilling out rivets on a helicopter in the air frame part of the curriculum someone walked into the shop and announced that JFK was shot and not expected to live. We all went out into the parking lots and streets to listen to our car radios for the next few hours. We knew our world was about to change and followed the news like never before.
 
Honestly...Craftsman tools are a mainstay of the automotive repair professional trade. Cheap...a great warranty...they cover all the bases...you don't have to wait for the tool truck to swap them out. As I said, I've never been in a shop...independent or dealership that didnt have piles of them. Whats not to like? Now that I'm not turning wrenches professionally, I could handle any and every repair ill ever do with Craftsman, Stanley, kobalt etc. And i still do all of my own repairs.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
Stanley’s Mr. Loree said his company will expand its manufacturing footprint in the U.S., noting that the firm has “increased our manufacturing head count by 40% in the past three years.”

Obligatory:
Donald%2BTrump%252B2016%2BPresidential%2BRace%252BThumbs%2BUp%252BAnger%252BNonverbal%2BCommunication%2BExpert%252BBody%2BLanguage%2BExpert%252BSpeaker%252BKeynote%252BConsultant%252BLas%2BVegas%252BLos%2BAngeles%252BNYC%252BOrlando.png



Full quote from the press release (emphasis added):

To accommodate the future growth of Craftsman, we intend to expand our manufacturing footprint in the U.S. This will add jobs in the U.S., where we have increased our manufacturing headcount by 40% in the past three years.
 
I see this as a positive. Obviously Sears and Kmart are dying.
This move allows the Craftsman name to live on.
Hopefully they do the same with Kenmore and Diehard
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Doublehaul
Klein tools are excellent as well...id place them in the top tier. They can be tough to find for the average guy but the pros love em!


You are right on about Klein tools.
As a electrician for over four decades, Klein tools are the industry standard.
They are pricey, but will take years of hard use, a good value over time.
The average guy does not shop for tools at the electrical supply house.
grin.gif
 
Originally Posted By: BalticBob
Originally Posted By: Doublehaul
Klein tools are excellent as well...id place them in the top tier. They can be tough to find for the average guy but the pros love em!


You are right on about Klein tools.
As a electrician for over four decades, Klein tools are the industry standard.
They are pricey, but will take years of hard use, a good value over time.
The average guy does not shop for tools at the electrical supply house.
grin.gif


Home Depot carries Klein, and I have 2 of their wire strippers.

It'll be a matter of time before Craftsman makes its way to Costco - while I own a Snap-On Dual 80 ratchet, a majority of my tools is Craftsman, but the Chinese stuff feels ever so different than the older US-made ones.
 
I have purchased many broken Craftsman tools at garage sales and flea markets, then returned them for a free lifetime warranty replacement! If I did not need that particular tool, the new ones made great gifts.

The first set of metrics I purchased for my motorcycles were Snap-ons, from a neighbor that was a Snap-on salesman. While all the other kids were chasing down the ice cream truck, I was chasing down the Snap-on truck!
laugh.gif


Not only are Snap-ons great tools, his advice to a young beginner mechanic on what I needed was worth it. Can you find that at a Sears or BB store?
 
Originally Posted By: 4WD
My daughter gave me a (plastic snap in case deal) Craftsman tool set (I did not really need) - asked her if she got at Sears ?
Nope, Amazon ... guess I'll just leave it at the bay and not have to fetch sockets from my truck.


What bay are you near?
Close to Port Lavaca?
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
In the 60's I went to A&E school at San Diego City College. They gave us a tool list and the local Sears store gave us a ripping deal on their Craftsman tools. I remember that myself and others never even considered any other brand. Craftsman tools was the choice.

Oh, by the way I still have those tools and a few more. I think I've gotten my money's worth and more out of those original tools. It's sad to see this new world and all the changes in the economy since those days.

One other memory. While a friend an I were drilling out rivets on a helicopter in the air frame part of the curriculum someone walked into the shop and announced that JFK was shot and not expected to live. We all went out into the parking lots and streets to listen to our car radios for the next few hours. We knew our world was about to change and followed the news like never before.I remember the JFK assassination like you do OneEye. It was my final semester of college and most of the students went to the chapel to say the rosary. I went to the parking lot to listen to the news. About an hour later, the administration announced that the college was starting the Thanksgiving break that day and all PM classes were cancelled. I remember we watched TV almost non-stop until after the funeral. Just like you said, nothing was ever the same. Regards
 
Most of my tools are Craftsman from the 60s and 70s and have held up well. Tried to purchase a battery and Michelin tires from Sears a few years ago and got so much [censored] I went to Walmart. Our local Sears store does a lot of business in this city of 22,000+. Hope they don't close it. Things change.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top