I recently worked for sears in the Hardware Department (about 4 months ago) All craftsman hand tools (wrench screwdriver pliers socket ratchet) have a lifetime warranty no matter what. Specialty tools like torque wrench and power tools don't. I have never seen any line of CRAFTSMAN TOOLS homeowners to professional that had plastic parts I will have to check that out. I know at the sears store I worked at that If you broke a lower grade tool and wanted to trade it for a higher grade ratchet you could pay the difference (usually not that much).

 

Until I read the posts in this recent Garage/Workshop Forum thread, I also believed that Craftsman always meant decent quality. But now I know a little better:

Napa/Craftsman

 

I buy snap-on whenever I have the cash to flash, but craftsman has always been good, and if something does break, I find a young, uninformed employee to warantee it. The mac man around here is a loser, he wouldnt order tools for me because he thought I would never pick them up because I was a soph. In high school. So I go and surrender my pay check to the snap-on man now instead.

 

As a side note I don't believe Sears actually "makes" anything. They probably solicit bids on a spec. to make their tools. That's not neccessarily a bad thing as long as the specs are high.

 

all Craftsman taps and dies have been made in the USA from USA made materials since 1961, and still are, by Vermont American in North Carolina

 

I was at Sears a few weeks ago picking up a battery and I hear the three guys behind the counter taking about this very topic. They agreed that the new tools were poorly made but the company was convinced that it was cheaper to replace the product for the few that complain than build it to last.

It looks like Sears is using the new american business model.

Start with a great product and reduce the internal cost by 10% every year until no one is willing to buy it.

Once you have ruined your reputation start over.

American manufacturing once controlled the world but we have let our CEO's cheapen our products to line their golden parachutes with cash.

 

I haven't bought craftsman for ten years. The first time I saw "Made in China" on some larger sockets. An observation: Everytime I purchsed a set of sockets, I almost immediatly broke (split) the 1/2, 9/16, and 5/8 sockets (most used). The replacements never broke. I was always suspicious that Sears put a lower "homeowner grade" in the set. If you actually used the tool & broke it, you got the better grade from the individual piece inventory. Just a theory

 

Well
I have own Craftsman tools for a will. But there are US Craftman and Canadian Craftsman. This does sound dumb, but when I was an Aircraft Mech Apprentice 20+ yrs ago. Before I join the Army, my father picked up a 1/4" set for me in Detriot. I broke the ratchet and tryed to exchange it at Sears in Windsor. The tool dude there told me he could not because it was a US model.
I phoned Sears in Toronto and was told there is a difference. I had to drive to Detriot and exchanged it. The sales man in Detriot told me that a US company made ones for the US and Grey Canada made the Canadian ones. This was due to specs for tools are different. My father owned Grey from the 40s, and now I have them. They are still going strong.
Here in Canada, Canadian Tire sold/sells Grey. The Canadian Army has always bought Grey and they last for yrs. I have sockets, wrenchs etc made by Grey. Damn they are good. I find they are better then Snapon and half the price.
I have used Snapon, Proto when I worked at the Airport and found they are not as good.
As for Craftman "Dewalt" makes their power tools. For I had to get a new chuck for my drill, it came in a Dewalt box. My Scorll saw is a twin for Dewalt also, but is grey and not pretty yellow.

 

I have a toolbox full of Craftsman tools, all good and strong, bought from a pawn shop some years ago. I often go to other pawn shops to search for more old tools. Give it a try, and maybe you will be as happy as I am.

 

News Flash folks....... almost every company in the US subcontracts to other makers. To rip on Craftsman for it is absurd. Look at the Gear Wrenchs. How many companies do you think have patents on those things. ONE! All the models out there are sales contracts. Snap-On and Blue Point do it. Matco doesn't actually make anything as far as I know. Nike had a contract with a clothing compnay blocks from here. You could buy the clothes at Wal-mart for $5 or the ones made on the same sewing machine with a Nike tag for more. The sales philosophy of today is that consumer are biased. People will pay more money for something they believe in even if it is no different than the broken one in thier hand. As far as I am concerned if it says "Made in the USA" it is good enough for me.

 

Yes...I am wearing my asbestos suit...

What does "Made in the USA" have to do with anything?

What I figure is good enough for me is any product that is made by people who give a damn about quality. Doesn't matter where they happen to live.