I am considering adding some power tools to my collection. I have many Craftsman tools and I have always trusted Craftsman, but I am not so sure today with their newer power tool products.
What do you think? Is Craftsman still a good choice for power tools?
I've _never_ considered their power tools as any real plus altho I do have one router of early 70s vintage that has stood the test of time and actually like fairly well. I don't believe I could say that of much of anything else.
I'd recommend instead to post what, specifically, are you looking for and for what kind of work and extent of use you expect to give them and get specific recommendations. A budget limit if exists never hurts, either...
Dunno from power tools, but I quit even thinking about Craftsman when they tech'd-out on their hand tool warranty on a tap-and-die set I had.
The plastic that the case that organizes the dozens of small parts was made of fell apart over time making it useless and leaving me with a bucketful of small parts - likewise nearly useless because of the effort needed to find a given piece.
Sears said "Sorry, we just warranty the tools...", not the boxes.
You said the plastic case "fell apart over time". It doesn't appear you really got "shafted". You still have a warranty on your tools. An egg carton will organize 12 small parts. A fishing tackle box may work even better.
Even as far back as the early 70s, their shop tools were junk. A shop fully outfitted with Craftsman top-of-the-line wood shop machines, like table saws, planers, etc, was universally despised by the temp workers that had to use them. I ran across a brand new Craftsman floor model drill press. My 80 yr old drill press I bought at a garage sale for 1/3 the price was ten times the machine as that Craftsman junk.
The last Sears power tool I used was an electric Craftsman weed whacker. It was designed from the gitgo to destroy itself, which it eventually did. The line length trim blade was designed and placed so that the line hit the cutter blade mounting plastic as often as it hit the actual blade. It was a crap shoot on which would be hit first, the mount or the trim blade. About the dozenth time the line was extended to expose new line, it hit the mount jes right and broke the mount and trim blade clean off, taking part of the shroud with it. Sure, I got a entire free replacement whacker, but it was the exact same design and destined to eventually fail, again, which it did. I jes tossed it.
He's right and wrong, both...the key point is that they have, in fact, set up and intend to license the brands beyond their previous use only in house...
Which ploy is why Ace Hardware is now robbing sales from Sears stores on Craftsman tools...it may not make too much difference in some larger areas but we can already see the negative impact here in a small market catalog/associate store in that it's hurt them significantly and may well drive them under if it happens to appliances as well...
Kmart carries Sears Craftsman tools. Look at the fine print on every Craftsman tool they have in stock and you will see "Made in China" on the packaging.
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