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Craftsman Tools Suck Now

Made in china primarily exists because the incredible low cost of manufacturing. This is usually achieved via a few different avenues, such as cheaper goods made with cheaper materials, low wage pay for workers, unsafe conditions, lack of environmental standards, tax haven or loopholes, materials sourced in poor ways, etc etc

I support none of those things

While manufacturing CAN be done to high quality, the main reason companies are willing, And able, to make goods and ship them all the way here and still profit, is because of these reasons.
 
JesasaurusRex said:
Dude, I just bought a craftsman set of 14, kinda drove this rant. "Slim design", yea, slim in all the wrong places. Handle is slim as shit, the box end AND open end are wide as fuck, and we know those are the only dimensions that matter. Was like 50 bux and lifetime warranty so I won't return them, point is it's all meaningless when you cant fit your wrench over the fastener you want to manipulate.
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I love my Matco proswing ratcheting wrenches. Use them all the damn time! They have smaller heads than any other ratcheting wrenches I've seen :thumbup
 
As far as dimensions around the open end of the wrench goes, we usually just ground down anything that didn't fit until it did. :dunno Wasn't worth trying to find the "perfect" tool, just take a KD wrench and the grinder/plasma cutter till it worked. Other weird angle contraptions involved cutting wrenches and welding them back together, or welding them to a piece of scrap to be longer for greater leverage, etc.
 
auntiebling said:
you know what stuart?
i LIke you.

you're not like the other people; here
in the trailer park
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That is, without question, my favorite DM song. :cool

Do you think a kid like that is gonna know what the queers are doing to the soil?
 
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SuperMike said:
That is, without question, my favorite DM song. :cool

Do you think a kid like that is gonna know what the queers are doing to the soil?
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My only hesitation is that it might be offensive to aliens.

Burrow owls live in a Hole
In the Ground
WHY THE HELL YOU THINK THEY CALL IT A BURTOW OWL ANYWAY!
 
I agree tha tlast few i was given were junk. my 45 year old snapons work better than brand new sears stuff.
 
Human Ills said:
What durability issues does the moto x have?
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What durability issues does iPhone have? Guess I'd have something better to compare to if the MotoX actually sold worth a damn. Point is, just because it's "made in USA" doesn't mean better. Just means it got made by someone who made a whole lot more money for the same job.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for made in US stuff. But if there's a premium to pay for American labor, whether that cost is absorbed by the company or passed on to the consumer, then I expect premium workmanship.

I think some of you know I work for Acura. I can, in no good conscience recommend the all new 2014+ MDX even though it's selling great and getting all kinds of press. What I see on my end? First two generations of the MDX were made in Canada. Now this new one is made by good ol boys in Alabama. Fit and finish has taken quite a tumble from Honda's usual standard. It's reminiscent of bad 80's cars. Panel gaps and doors not lining up or even, paint defects, and some gross quality control issues. The very first one off the truck last year...one of the fucking doors wouldn't open inside or out because of an unattached latch inside. How's that leave the assembly line and nobody tries all the doors? I don't think it's a UAW plant, but I'm sure their workers still make a pretty decent wage compared to any non-US plant. Where's the premium workmanship? No pride. Plenty of "Monday hangover" and "Friday clockwatcher" jobs.
 
Proto have been bulky in my experience, and not very precise. I believe they were the industrial arm of Stanley.

Shit, tools get lost or stolen on some job sites, so I didn't mind a bag of Taiwan/China wrenches. That categories (cheapies) best brand would be Snap-On's Blue Point
 
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If I am going to buy a Chinese made tool I will go to Harbor Freight and pay 1/10 the price.

Sears has made one bad business decision after another in the past 20 years. I always thought Sears was a good store because they made such great tools.

Finding out that they now make their tools in China, I say F Sears, just close your doors and be done with it. I think Sears and Kmart will be gone in the next few years anyway. Hopefully someone smart will buy the Craftsman name and built the quality tool in the USA. Hopefully their reputation will not be gone by then.
 
I can't afford top of the line tools and instead buy Husky. I live 3 blocks from Home Depot and if a tool breaks, I walk in and grab a new one.

It doesn't make up for quality, but it's nice to have a lifetime warranty.
 
In nearly 15 years working with hand tools on a nearly daily basis, I've never once broken a Craftsman tool...nor any other tool. The only time I've seen it happen with any manufacturer's tools is when people are using the tool for the wrong purpose.
 
Kornholio said:
In nearly 15 years working with hand tools on a nearly daily basis, I've never once broken a Craftsman tool...nor any other tool. The only time I've seen it happen with any manufacturer's tools is when people are using the tool for the wrong purpose.
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Yeah, the Sears site had a lot of guys foaming at the mouth about these "unsafe Chinese tools that might break when you use them." You have to go pretty low end for that to happen. I think I split a shitty socket once years ago, but it was a very cheap set I got for an emergency roadside repair. That socket was truly very weak, but it's the exception. I've never broken a tool before or since.
 
FlewbyU said:
If I am going to buy a Chinese made tool I will go to Harbor Freight and pay 1/10 the price.

Sears has made one bad business decision after another in the past 20 years. I always thought Sears was a good store because they made such great tools.

Finding out that they now make their tools in China, I say F Sears, just close your doors and be done with it. I think Sears and Kmart will be gone in the next few years anyway. Hopefully someone smart will buy the Craftsman name and built the quality tool in the USA. Hopefully their reputation will not be gone by then.
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Exactly, so much this, that was the last redeeming quality of sears. I'll never go there again....unless my craftsman wrenches break :laughing
 
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