Yep!

 

It’s been a while!

 

I recall craftsman being a good product, and their guarantee being no questions asked.
As I continued to buy tools, I also bought mac/ snap on/ s& k etc.
I agree craftsman spiraled outta control to selling mostly junk, too bad.

 

I worked for sears for 12 years and used my employee discount liberally in the tool dept. I bought this limited edition gold plated wrench set at a huge sale price, I couldn't pass it up.

 

Different world we live in today. It is all about corporate profits and return to investors. Even if the long term viability of the company is destroyed,
in the process.

Mikey

 

I agree Mikey, I doubt a five year plan is part of many business school curriculum any more. Before healthcare I worked in management of a very successful company and our culture turned to plans for this month, my US boss greatly disliked my five year projections for the future of my department. Years after I left many of my team commented on how closely my projections aligned with the company's actual status. My boss was a genius schooled in chemistry, at the time I had a business/economics degree.

 

I could tell you horror stories of mismanagement in that company (Sears). Changing business models/tactics every 6 months is not smart. Wow, what a bumpy 12 year ride that was!

 

Agree. The beginning of the end was when they started the "Sears Financial Network" with Discover, Dean Wittter, Coldwell Banker and of course they had Allstate already. I worked in the Allstate home office from 1974-2006. While pretty successful, they took their eye off the retail ball and totally ignored the likes of Walmart. Once they spun off the four financial companies, Walmart was already taking huge bites out of their lunch.

They also got rid of the catalog at an inopportune time. The had a great fulfilment system for the catalog that could had been leveraged to online selling had they looked forward a couple of years. If they had the foresight, they could have become Amazon before Amazon did.

 

and was guaranteed for life

 

And some people out there wonder why we are in the shape we are in today! Not the sharpest knives in the drawer.

 

Now-a-days... I have ALOT of Gear Wrench branded tools....I look for Mac and Snap-on in all of the Pawn shops too

 

Now-a-days....I look for Mac and Snap-on in all of the Pawn shops

Good idea Alan

 

Hedge fund manager Eddie Lampert bought both Sears and K-Mart about a decade ago, thinking he could turn both around. It kind of didn't work out that way.

 

Sears owned most of the properties they had . Eddie may not have saved Sears but I think he did good for Eddie .

 

Years ago my Dad's shop burned to the ground. Any tool that you could still read Craftsman on, they replaced without a question. Snap-On wouldn't replace anything. Not the best business decision for Sears but it bought a little more loyalty from all of our family and friends.

 

I have a 1964 Craftsman model 150 floor standing drill press. Bought it off of Craigslist from a guy that was clearing out his dad's garage workshop after he passed away. It still has the original electric motor with a metal tag that says "Made In The United States Of America". Never been rebuilt, yet its still going strong!

 

I bought mine new in 64... Right after I got out of the USAF. Still have, & working well.
Had to replace the quill and chuck when some guy I was helping on his car, let the part get away from him and wrecked it.

 

I have many craftsman tools for automotive and woodworking that are close to 40 years old without problems. I chuckle to myself when I see my craftsman 3/8 and 1/4" are still working and my slightly newer Snap-on are not. I haven't got around to rebuilding them.
Art

 

My Kobalt stuff from Lowes is holding up well.
It's an eye opener to go there and compare the Crapsman with the Kobalt.
Even the toolboxes they sell are nite and day better than the tin cans Crapsman makes.

 

As for as Kobalt goes I have a full set of both metric & standard flex ratchet wrenches the 9/16 broke first a few years ago then the 15MM a couple months ago.Not happy with Lowe's one local store worker told me yes lifetime replacement but when I brought them in to be replaced first of all they didn't have either one.I then went to customer service & was told Lowe's no longer replaced the Kobalt tools in store that pissed me off & I went to another local store who also didn't have the needed replacements.When I went to they're customer service the person was very responsive & gave me the number to call Kobalt they took the information on what was needed & I received them two day later but instead of a 15mm I got a 5/16 a email quickly got the correct 15mm to me two days later was told to keep the wrong one also.The point being any issues getting your Kobalt tools replaced at Lowe's ask for contact number great service from them just not pleased with Lowe's.

 

A lot of the Craftsman tools in my garage are over 60 years old, and still work fine.

 

Stole this image off line, but looks like the Craftsman I bought at a yard sale around 1995, still works great for pumping up tires and such





T

 

I grew up with Craftsman, but as I became the person buying them I started patronizing the big white truck that showed up at my shop every week. I still have some of my dads craftsman stuff but they are not in my daily box, but in my home box. They make me nostalgic and miss the old man something awful.

 

They make me nostalgic and miss the old man something awful.

I can relate to that.
We never had much for tools other than what my grandpa had from the 1930's.
My dad did a little wood stuff, but no cars
It was probably a good thing, as I found him putting Turtle Wax on the porta walls on his Olds 88!

 

even SnapOn's quality is not what it used to be.

 

I must be lucky, mine seem to be holding up ok.

 

Back in the eighties wea had a Sear Surplus store nearby, bought many power tools and an air compressor (also a couple Ted William's shotguns) at bargain prices, all still in service (shotguns given to family members don't know if they are still working). Used to be the standard for homeowner tools.

 

90% of my hand tools are Craftsman and I have owned some of them since I got my first paycheck back in 1984. For me it had/has always been convenient to get them at Sears and now Lowes. My other options are Stanley at Wal-Mart or Pittsburgh at Harbor Freight. I prefer Craftsman over those, and I've never had an issue with getting a warranted replacement Craftsman tool if I did break one, usually by abuse. I would like to have a big set of Snap On, Matco, and Mac but all have always been out of my budget. If I owned a repair shop and worked for the public, I would probably find a way to get the higher end tools.

 

Had Snap-on and Matco as long as I can remember. Keep a large set of Craftsman tools I have bought over the years to use as a traveling set of tools when I take a road trip. One of the guys in my shop buys a lot of Harbor Fright tools..they break often but he just brings them back and they give him a replacement. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me, buy something good that you don't have to replace even though the replacement is free. Snap-on and Matco both have replaced ANY tool I am not happy with...even if the chrome is starting to wear. I'll stick with the good stuff, never met anyone that told me he or she was sorry they bought Snap-On, Matco or Mac.

 

I have some kick butt Sears floor jacks from the 70s.

 

I also had a Sears jack that lasted for probably 30 years before dying probably went through 3 or 4 HF style ones since then.Also have a 5hp stand up Sears air compressor that's done a lot of work over the years getting a little noisy but still works.

 

I have a mid 80s Sears floor jack that I prefer over anything I can now buy at any price. It's been rebuilt once - had to dig to find the seal kit but they are out there. I have no use for an aluminum jack because I rarely pick it up to move it. Also I don't want or care for a "quick pump" feature. I don't run a Nascar team.

Most of my hand tools are Craftsman - the core pieces were purchased after I got wiped out by thieves back in the 70s.

In the news today is that Stanley is shutting down a Craftsman tool factory in Ft. Worth.

 

I had a huge Hein-warner floor jack for years. My father in law gave it to me and he had had it for years. weighed a ton but worked like new. It was about all I could do to pick it up if I needed to. I was next door at a friends shop helping him install a windshield. This guy backed up by my shop door and popped the trunk. I assumed he was getting a flat tire out for me to fix but that dude evidently saw my jack sitting inside the door and he grabbed that thing like it was a feather, tossed it in his trunk--lid wouldn't close because the jack was too long, and flew out of my driveway. Couldn't get the plate number so called the cops and gave them a description of the car. Never heard from them or saw the jack again. I hate a thief and sounds bad but I hope the first time he used it a seal blew and it fell on him.