Are Craftsman tools pretty much all Chinese now?

[Sheepdog Gear]

Midget wrenches? What's the torque spec for midgets anyhow? I bet Skulldaddy knows... Although I'm guessing he likes his midgets a little on the loose side.

Yeah! That's even what they're labeled in the package.

 

[Leo]

Midget wrenches? What's the torque spec for midgets anyhow? I bet Skulldaddy knows... Although I'm guessing he likes his midgets a little on the loose side.

I think we used to call those ignition wrenches. That is a hard thing to find any more. Of course cars have not had breaker points, mechanical distributors, bolt on coil terminals, etc in a while. I had given mine away before I went to Texas, and wanted to replace them. Even guys at the auto parts had never heard of them. I ordered a metric set and an SAE set on the internet. I guess I forgot about Sears.

I am told that midgets don't like to be called that any more. I have no idea of the proper torque.

 

[87iroc]

I think anything that can be manufactured w/o human interactgion can still be cost effective in the states. Anything that requires someone to put it together its cheaper in China....at least that would be my guess. Have to go back and read the 'run down' of what you got to see.

Like I said. I'm pretty much a harbor freight shopper for tools. Used to buy all Craftsman but gave up a few years ago when all the stores closed and they started pimping the name out to anyplace that was willing to carry it. Figured it was pretty much all china at that point. Glad it isn't 100%.

 

[Kutnupe14]

When the chinese have their civil war someday in the future, this country will be out of luck.

They already have had several. I don't think the communists are ever going to be overthrown by force of arms (domestically).

 

[CindyE]

Sears Sells Craftsman Brand, to Close 150 Stores - WSJ

Sears in Kokomo is closing, too.

 

[HoughMade]

Sears Sells Craftsman Brand, to Close 150 Stores - WSJ

Sears in Kokomo is closing, too.

Yep.

Sears Sells the Craftsman Brand to Stanley Black & Decker for $900 Million | BestRide

 

[jgressley2003]

Sears Sells Craftsman Brand, to Close 150 Stores - WSJ

Sears in Kokomo is closing, too.

I was in the Kokomo store less than a month ago and they didn't have much of a tool selection. I did manage to find a good deal on a set of gearwrench flex heads though. I've always liked Sears, it's sad to see them go.

 

[indiucky]

All of this talk of Sears makes me a bit wistful...Any other geezer's remember this great page of the 1975 Sears Christmas Catalog???

 

[CindyE]

We were sad to see the Sears in Logan leave our "ghost mall", now this. I read that the automotive is staying open.

 

[BluePig]

I have some Stanley & Black & Decker stuff, but I always considered it a lower quality than my Craftsman stuff.
Lowered expectations on the way.

 

[foszoe]

Sad.

I have fond memories of Sears and JcPenny catalog marking at Christmas

 

[CindyE]

I have some Stanley & Black & Decker stuff, but I always considered it a lower quality than my Craftsman stuff.
Lowered expectations on the way.

Same here.

 

[CindyE]

Sad.

I have fond memories of Sears and JcPenny catalog marking at Christmas

And Montgomery Wards. I think my parents hated it when we went through those catalogs and marked all of the many things we wanted! My grandma used to order stuff from the catalogs. One year, when her eyesight was obviously weakening, she ordered mys sister and i boys pjs! Mine looked like a football jersey, and my sister's had cowboys on it...lol. We kept them and wore them anyway, which was no problem for me, as i was a tomboy and hated the frilly, scratchy nightgowns i usually got!

 

[foszoe]

And Montgomery Wards. I think my parents hated it when we went through those catalogs and marked all of the many things we wanted! My grandma used to order stuff from the catalogs. One year, when her eyesight was obviously weakening, she ordered mys sister and i boys pjs! Mine looked like a football jersey, and my sister's had cowboys on it...lol. We kept them and wore them anyway, which was no problem for me, as i was a tomboy and hated the frilly, scratchy nightgowns i usually got!

LOL.

Born and raised in West Virginia. I never knew of Montgomery Wards until much later. Not sure if I ever saw a store.

Mom always took me to Sears at the beginning of the school year to buy the oversized clothes I would grow out of by second semester

 

[moosehead]

I have some Stanley & Black & Decker stuff, but I always considered it a lower quality than my Craftsman stuff.
Lowered expectations on the way.

They have managed to keep the Dewalt and Porter Cable names alive. Maybe they'll do the same for Craftsman.

 

[littletommy]

If I remember correctly, wasn't the JCPenney catalog better than the Sears one? At least as far as toys in the 1970s were concerned. I do recall looking through the Craftsman section in the big thick master catalog from Sears and drooling over all the awesomeness, but for toys, I'm thinking it was JCPenneys FTW.

 

[CampingJosh]

They have managed to keep the Dewalt and Porter Cable names alive. Maybe they'll do the same for Craftsman.

Agreed. If they plan to position Craftsman at the same quality/price as the Stanley stuff currently sold at Walmart, they wasted their $900 million.

I would expect them to try to make Craftsman the brand targeted to more serious DIY folks, in between Stanley and Dewalt. Which fits the Craftsman we all remember from a decade or so back and before.

 

[long coat]

I think Stanley still owns Mac Tools. I hope they put them on the Mac Tools trucks as their cheaper line, like Blue Point from Snap-On.

 

[RugerRog]

If I remember correctly, wasn't the JCPenney catalog better than the Sears one? At least as far as toys in the 1970s were concerned. I do recall looking through the Craftsman section in the big thick master catalog from Sears and drooling over all the awesomeness, but for toys, I'm thinking it was JCPenneys FTW.

Yeah I loved looking at the Wishbook and Penny's catalogs at Christmas. I recall the Penny's catalog had a great women's underwear section that I looked at, when I moved past toys and such. lol.

 

[actaeon277]

Yeah I loved looking at the Wishbook and Penny's catalogs at Christmas. I recall the Penny's catalog had a great women's underwear section that I looked at, when I moved past toys and such. lol.

Hey. The internet wasn't always there. You had to take it where you could get it.