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Stanley Black & Decker bought Craftsman & are supposed to be building a new US facility to bring production back to "Forged in USA" :thumbsup:

craftsman is a good product and i am glad it is coming back to the good ol usa

Unless they are subsidy farming they will go broke.
Joe public wants cheap.
Joe public can no longer tell the difference between quality tools and trash they rely on the name on the look & Craftsman was always a medium quality tool.
To make it pay they will have to spend another $ 900,000 to outspend Snap On and brain wash the ill informed that a slightly better than middle of the range tool is the best you can possibly buy.
Not impossible HD has relied on this for decades.
I thought the days of owning the market segment by buying out all of you competitors have gone but apparently there are still executives with too much testosterone around.
The only way to ensure a profit is to own the entire chain from digging up the ore to recycling the packaging.

Even more so these days when hand tools are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

Maybe the trade restrictions have something to do with them moving back into the country, just a guess.

I:biggrin: am so happy American made again

I have something to add to this thread about hand tools ............ Ok my first set of hand wrenches was from our local owned lumber yard, when I was 5 years old.....Named after the town it was in ......

Then I found out about sockets and a ratchet when my Paran' also my uncle, turned me loose on a 3 1/2 HP Briggs engine when I was 8 years old .... (That was my inspiration to do what I'm doing now)... My dad never owned those kind of tools, just some hand wrenches, which I had a third of what he had LOL...... Also he had the different size screwdrivers..... Blah Blah.....

Then I started work at PHI as a Aviation technician helper....... Washing hell holes in a helo is hell LOL... Washing the engines in them were fun because I started the engines also and could talk to a buddy doing the other ones over the radio on a different channel .... But turning wrenches was fun too with the help of some good friends that I made there ......

That's where I found out about the quality of tools.... I didn't know about the 2 different ratchets Craftsman made, the lever control for the for / rev action was different in 2 ways from the round head style..... The round head type are a finer click and better in a tight spot....

The Tech's also told me that the same amount of tools of each in their respective tool boxes the same size one of them will be lighter........ Snap on won that one ....... Craftsman was right behind Snap On on quality since they were a USA made Co........ Also I had some Craftsman tools that were made in Japan ... Same great tool also .....

The bad thing about Craftsman is they didn't drive around in the trucks like Snap On did .........If you are a mechanic working at a shop then the Snap On man will sell you tools on credit..... He knows where you work and the shop will dock your check if you don't pay up........... At least that how it works down here where I live ...........

I will checkout what is going on with the buyout... Got my attention for sure ~!~!

Plus Tard ............

Have about seven hundred dollars in Craftsman tools, but have one BIG complaint. If you have a tool that breaks and you take it in to be replaced, the quality of the replacement is no where close to the original. Now if I need a new tool, Snap On is my go to.

I used to have a storeman ( store woman to be correct ) that was always rabbiting on about how great her defacto's Snap Ons were.
So we did a test Snap - On vs Dufor using a length of 1/2" Allan key.
I broke all 3 of his spanners with a 40 year old tool .
I offered to test the new ones against my old one but he declined.
They never mentioned tools again.

And yes Snap-On has won the marketing war down here .
40 years ago the local pros used Sidchromes then the idiot money men got control of the company and downgraded the quality to a price the supermarkets were willing to pay.
Now days a professional mechanic would not even pick one up.

FWIW I use old Aussie tools in the mobile tool box & Hazet / Stahlwilie / Sidchromes in the workshop.

I heard even Harbor Freight hand tools have a lifetime quaranree.

I worked as a Millwright in a steel mill for 40 years and tools you never see are Craftsman or Snap On

Tools by Williams and Proto are common. There are other brands but using large impacts I never reimbursing one fail, some 6 inch sockets. I think Stanley owns Proto.

I used to buy from Snap-On & Mac Tools off the trucks, my beech was when you broke a tool, or sometimes ordered a tool, the next few times they came around they "forgot" it or it's back-ordered, got tired of the B/S, switched to Craftsman and auto parts stores (the High-Quality brands) Proto, Husky, Black-Hawk, SK-Wayne, Wright, Armstrong, etc. etc. I know every "wrench-bender" has a certain tool, from a certain brand, that just "FEELS" so right in their hand, I thinks it's a shame that the Baby-Boomer generation of mechs. are retiring more each day, and most that enter into the trade nowadays, would prefer a NEW box & tools, I was glad to get "hand-me-downs" when offered, sometimes when at flea-markets and yard sales I see a complete set, Upper, Middle and Roll-around Bottoms that cost THOUSANDS being offered for a pittance of the initial cost. My box and tools are still with me (started my "collection" 1959,) pains me I have no family member to pass them on to, they'll most likely wind-up in a yard-sale ..

Trouble is there is little to no generation Z or millenial tool twirlers and those who do think a good tool is one which heavy decorative plating , shiny & smooth like a dildo sitting in a cut out space in a black velvet lined foam tray in an overpriced display drawer.
Usually made from a low grade forging steel so that it is easy to polish & plate to a high shine with way too much copper under the nickel so when used properly the plating flakes off leaving you with oversized spanners .

The trouble with owning competing brands of tools is you can not serve two masters so one has to end up being downgraded.
Look at what happened to chainsaws when Husqvarna took over Poulan, McCulloch & heaven knows who else.
All the other brands were downgraded or off shored ( same thing ) so a "good" was was branded Husky and the rest ended up at varying levels of infearority according to the stores that they were sold in.
Thus wise only an idiot would run Stanley & Craftsman head to head which is about where they are right now.
One would hope that they would elevate the quality of the most well known brand, moving into a new market level and hold the other where it is.
However that is very rare.
having forked out that much money the owners usually want a very quick return so they usually downgrade one brand which catches the buying public unawares so suddenly when Craftsman is available at 1/2 to 1/3 the regular price, they pig out on them.
This gives a quick return on the $ 600,000 but it also trashes the brand which slowly vanishes.

Adding to my other post ........ The chopper techs at PHI were mostly veterans from the service and back then the Army and Marines used Thorsen Tools......

I started wiping my Dad's hand tools off back in about 1960, this led to my 1st mini-bike, & when I learned it had a governor, I removed it & that same afternoon I promptly blew the engine.

Anyhow, the tools my Dad had were Craftsman mainly, with some other brands mixed in. So I like reading they are coming back to the US. My tools are old & I have many doubles of everything. Made in the USA.

Padroo said:

Maybe the trade restrictions have something to do with them moving back into the country, just a guess.

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That is exactly what I read. Thanks to the President.

7394 said:

I started wiping my Dad's hand tools off back in about 1960, this led to my 1st mini-bike, & when I learned it had a governor, I removed it & that same afternoon I promptly blew the engine.

Anyhow, the tools my Dad had were Craftsman mainly, with some other brands mixed in. So I like reading they are coming back to the US. My tools are old & I have many doubles of everything. Made in the USA.

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Stanley Black & Decker is nothing but crap. Craftsman is dead too me.

Most of my tools are Craftsman. I started with them when my father gave me a basic set when I was 15. Dad was a do-everything guy and the local Sears store was his go-to place for power or hand tools. If anything broke, he’d take it back and they would promptly hand him a new one. Over the years, I have had to do the same thing on a rare occasion. One ratchet wrench that I had for nearly 50 years had failed and over to Sears I went and came home with a new one. The local hardware store ( my go-to place for the last 38 years) just switched over to the Ace franchise and I was happy to see they now carry the Craftsman brand. I am well aware that the quality is not the same, but that go-to hardware store is very close to me so it should be no problem to get a replacement should I need it. I like the Made In USA thing too. But I also like Harbor Freight for that cheap, odd ball tool that you might need once or twice. And if it breaks?—no big deal especially if it’s something I may never need again.

BTW-here is one of those odd-ball tools I bought from Harbor Freight about twelve years ago. It’s a sort of t-handle, multi-articulating, 3/8 inch, fine ratchet. It’s been used (and abused) a few times, but sometimes it’s the only thing that will get something loose in tight spaces. And if I break it, I’m only out $18.00

Since Craftsman is sold a lot of places now does the too replacement still hold up at all these new locations?

Random thoughts on tools:

As a kid, I used my Dad's tools, which were mostly Snap-On, Plumb and Blue Point. When I was about 14 and at that time working Saturdays and summers at a farm equipment dealership, someone gave me a cheap 3/8 ratchet and socket set. That was the start of my own tool set. What were 'cheap' tools at that time (c1966) would be considered top of the line now.

Good screwdrivers are not easy to find today. Good screwdrivers cost a lot of money and you truly do get what you pay for. I like S-K and Facom. Facom is made in France. That's how low we've sunk--even France makes better tools than the USA.

The best 'tool' I bought wasn't a tool--it was a Kennedy tool chest and cabinet. You'll never hang on to a good collection of tools until you keep them in one place and organized.

Flea markets are a good source of older, high-quality tools. Some may be 'hot'. Some are being sold by people who don't realize what they're selling. Let your conscience be your guide.

Properly used, ratchets will last nearly forever. But they have torque limits--you can't use a 3-foot cheater bar on a 3/8 ratchet very many times before it breaks. Use a flex-head (aka, break-over bar) for this.

Buy the best tools you can afford. You'll only regret the money you spent and before long you won't regret it at all.

Padroo said:

Since Craftsman is sold a lot of places now does the too replacement still hold up at all these new locations?

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I asked the question at my nearby Ace Hardware and they said the replacement policy has not changed. I felt good about that.

2smoked said:

I asked the question at my nearby Ace Hardware and they said the replacement policy has not changed. I felt good about that.

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Thank you, I always wondered.
I have never bothered returning broken tools, they like customers like me.:laughing:

Padroo said:

Thank you, I always wondered.
I have never bothered returning broken tools, they like customers like me.:laughing:

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Last time I tried replace a broken Craftsman socket, I was told NO, because my old socket had the size stamped/engraved into it and the replacement was a laser etched one .. no can do ...??? ..

Have been replacing my Craftsman sockets for years and have never been told they would not replace. All the ones I am replacing are stamped. You better be nicer or find another retail outlet. I’ve just about replaced an entire 3/8” drive 12 point set.

Probably wasn't holdin my mouth jus right, or maybe I should go in wearing a long black trenchcoat, hat, N dark glasses .. ?? ..:laughing:..:laughing:

Same here, never any issue returning any broken Craftsman tools..

Once I helped a neighbor clean out her old shed, & in a bucket 1/2 full of rain water were a batch of very old Craftsman tools. They were corroding away, but I asked her if she knows what was in there. She said they were some of her late husbands tools, she said take them. I did & made sure I could read Craftsman somewhere on each tool. Went to local Sears & said these are UN-usable anymore. He replaced every one, with out any hesitation.

I left with probably $200. worth of new hand tools. :thumbsup:

7394 said:

Same here, never any issue returning any broken Craftsman tools..

Once I helped a neighbor clean out her old shed, & in a bucket 1/2 full of rain water were a batch of very old Craftsman tools. They were corroding away, but I asked her if she knows what was in there. She said they were some of her late husbands tools, she said take them. I did & made sure I could read Craftsman somewhere on each tool. Went to local Sears & said these are UN-usable anymore. He replaced every one, with out any hesitation.

I left with probably $200. worth on new hand tools. :thumbsup:

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Damn, they never even used Vaseline or gave me a kiss ... those birty dasturds .. ..:laughing:

Boobala said:

Damn, they never even used Vaseline or gave me a kiss ... those birty dasturds .. ..:laughing:

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Seems like you either spoke to the wrong guy or like Rivets said, need a different outlet.

7394 said:

Seems like you either spoke to the wrong guy or like Rivets said, need a different outlet.

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Wonder if ACE Hdwe. will make good, also heard they will NOT replace screwdrivers with broken tips or "hammering" marks on the handle .. anybody know the truth to that ..?? Only 1 sears store near me and I think I heard it's closing down.. ???

Local Ace here will replace broke tip screwdrivers.

All Sears near me have already closed.

7394 said:

Local Ace here will replace broke tip screwdrivers.

All Sears near me have already closed.

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Thanks Numbers, I'll be sure to tell Santa you're an OK guy, N shouldn't be on his schitt-list !! .. :thumbsup:..:laughing:

I'd rather have tools that don't break.

Boobala said:

Thanks Numbers, I'll be sure to tell Santa you're an OK guy, N shouldn't be on his schitt-list !! .. :thumbsup:..:laughing:

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Thanks Boo, you're all heart man..

cpurvis said:

I'd rather have tools that don't break.

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And those would be which brand ?

I've had pretty good luck with S-K, Facom, Snap-On, Plumb, Blue Point, New Britain, Crescent, and Diamond, if you can find them.

That's some of the brands I've accumulated over the years. I know that some of them are not sold anymore.

But the fact that they're old and haven't broke puts them in a class above all the tools I've had that did break and had to be replaced.

Thanks, valid point.

I am 81 yrs young and have a socket set complete with ratchets (2), speed handle, extensions, pull handle, and punches. I used them when in my early teens, out of dad's toolbox "fixing" my bikes.

My dad was a vending machine distributor. Besides selling new machines he also reconditioned older ones which included stripping everything out of the cabinet, mostly mounted with hardened self-tapping No. 2 Phillips screws. Every 6 months or so he'd return his stripped Craftsman screw driver for a new one. It got to the point where all he had to do was walk up to the counter and they would grab the spare they kept in the case for him, lol.

Darryl G said:

My dad was a vending machine distributor. Besides selling new machines he also reconditioned older ones which included stripping everything out of the cabinet, mostly mounted with hardened self-tapping No. 2 Phillips screws. Every 6 months or so he'd return his stripped Craftsman screw driver for a new one. It got to the point where all he had to do was walk up to the counter and they would grab the spare they kept in the case for him, lol.

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AHHhhh yes the "Good ol Days" nowaday's, most young un's don't know, which, is the FUNCTIONAL end of a screwdriver !! .. :confused2:

Kind of off topic, but until just recently I'd say everything in our house and garage was Sears or Craftsman, Kenmore, etc. Quality stuff at the right prices (when on sale) and real handy, good service, in this small town. Replacing stuff is tough, just no real quality these days and sometimes hard to find an item that will even come close to the old one in quality and ease of operation. Sure as hell don't need a refrigerator connected to the internet, one that costs, $3000+, one that will probably go kaput in five years.

And really off topic, who the hell needs a flashlight with five modes of operation? Turn on and off. Don't need to switch it five times to look under the workbench.

Boy, I'm in a mood today.

Back in he 70s I rebuilt a Cessna 177. My local sears store told me they would be glad when I finished so they could reduce the supply of small Philips Screwdrivers on hand. I was in almost weekly with a handful that had rounded out. They also had the same deal on work boots but didn't last too long in that papermill town.