Craftsman tools are just fine,

[Hoyt Weathers]

if they have no moving parts !

[Tom Watson]

You best be havin' yer head on a swivel, keepin' a lookout fer Uncle Jessie.

Thomas J. Watson - WoodDorker

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

(webpage)

[Dave Hinz]

Um, OK, and your point is?

[Steve]

Let's see--I have the following Craftsman tools WITH moving parts:

1) 9" RAS - purchased in 1973 and still going strong 2) 10" table saw - almost a year old, and it works great 3) 3/8 corded variable reversible drill - about 18 years old & still works & looks like it's new. It replaced the Craftsman Type 1 drill I bought in '73 that was stolen in '86. 4) Fancy ROS - works great 5) 13.2V Cordless drill - works great after almost 2 years 6) Scroll saw - at least 25 years old, still going strong 7) 7-1/4" circular saw - about 18 years old, still works great. Replaced another Craftman tool that was stolen. 8) Electric staple gun - works great after 25 years, could use a new power cord 9) Craftsman Pro Fixed/Plunge router kit - 3 months old and the BEST router I've ever owned 10) Fixed router - 15 years old, still works good. 11) 4 x 21" belt sander - about 15 years old--still works good.

I got the new Craftsman Pro router because I wanted more power (2-1/4 HP vs the 1.5 HP the old one has, and the new one will take 1/2" bits as well as 1/4"

In short, I take exception to Hoyt's implication that Craftsman power tools aren't any good.

--Steve

Hoyt Weathers wrote:

[LRod]

[extensive list of wasted money snipped]

There are two kinds of wooddorkers: those who have bought Craftsman power tools and learned from the experience that there are much better choices, and those who have bought Craftsman power tools and never get it.

[Steve]

You left out the third category: Those who just can't justify the cost of the high-end stuff like what Norm has in his shop. The Craftsman stuff does the job, and does it well, and the prices don't break the bank.

What exactly is it that I don't get?

LRod wrote:

[no(SPAM)vasys]

Except for their blue/red/clear handled screw drivers.

[Ba r r y]

This is actually a Bosch tool. The Bosch version, known as the

1617EVS is subject to market price competition, the Craftsman version isn't.

This is the router I'm referring to:

and the genuine Bosch version:

Notice that freebies Coastal includes make the Bosch version cheaper than the incomparable and non-price matchable Craftsman version.

They're not, unless they're rebadged versions of what you called "high end" in another post. I've never owned a Craftsman tool, that was _less money_ than the competition, that was any good. The Craftsman power tools that were serviceable were either the same price or more expensive than examples from Bosch, Porter Cable, Makita, DeWalt, etc...

It's really NOT about status, most brand name tools actually do perform better.

Barry (Who fits cleanly into LRod's "Had Craftsman and moved on" category)

[Teamcasa]

snip

Most any Craftsman tool functions better, has higher quality and has a far better warranty coverage/support than anything sold by Harbor Freight.

Dave

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services

---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **

----------------------------------------------------------

[Bill Otten]

Nope....3 kinds...you left out the most obvious denizens of this forum...the TOOL SNOB.

bill

[Steve]

I was aware that the router was essentially the same except for cosmetics as the Bosch 1617EVS before I bought it. But at the time it was $20 less than the Bosch. If they'd been offering the free accessory kit with it at the time, I'd have bought the Bosch version. :-)

Never had any complaints about the Craftsman stuff I've bought, either in terms of price or performance. Not everything I own is Craftsman, BTW. And my next major purchase will most likely be a band saw, and I'm fairly certain it WON'T be a Craftsman!

--Steve

Ba r r y wrote:

[Uncle Jessie And Don't You For]

Oh great! Another sandlefoot with some whiny crap about Craftsman. You and all your rubberneck friends wouldn't know fine tools if each and every one of them came up and whacked you in the face. Maybe that's your problem. You don't know which end of the tool to use and which way to swing it?

Some of you sandbaskets really need to get out to the shop and get working on something that would make Uncle Jessy proud, something that would give him the proper cause to slide his thumbs in behind his suspenders and say, "Wee Doggies!" and I'm not talking about another one of your Norm inspired basket weave router tables I'm talking about something that can only be made with your Craftsman tools.

Why there was once a day when all you needed was a shop full of Craftsman tools and IQ higher than a grapefruit, something you slow paced clown college rejects can only aspire to and you could do anything. Now you knob polishers can't stop wimpering until the tops on your Unisaws are perfectly flat. Uncle Jessy just shakes his head in disgust. What you all need is a Craftsman table saw from the 80's, the ones that real craftsmen use, the one with Uncle Jessy's stamp of approval.

Speaking of stamps, I think it's just about time one or two of you maybe took up collecting the things. Then you wouldn't be here making total ignoramuses of yourselves with all your, "my Craftsman tools ruined my project". Well guess what, you couldn't get a boo-hoo out of Uncle Jessy if it was Halloween and you were telling Knock Knock jokes.

You disgust Uncle Jessy and tarnish everything that's good about this country. See ya later sand butts. Knock yourselves out.

Uncle Jessy

p.s. I love Uncle Jessy and don't mess with the Dukes! I mean it.

Git 'er done!

[Steve]

That's the point, isn't it? If the tools you have get the job done, and you're happy with 'em, then they're good stuff. Doesn't matter what you paid for 'em, or what brand name they have or don't have on 'em, does it?

And my guitars come out just fine using my collection of Craftsman, DeWalt, Ryobi, and (Omigod, dare I admit this?) Harbor Freight tools.

Take a look:

[Larry Jaques]

On Wed, 9 Mar 2005 13:15:02 -0800, the inscrutable "Teamcasa" spake:

THAT, sir, is disputable.

========================================================== I drank WHAT? +

--Socrates + Web Application Programming

[Tom Watson]

(Top Posted and not one damned bit snipped)

I told you fellas that you was gonna get Uncle Jessie fired up with all this foolishness, and such.

Now see what ya gone and done?

watson - who can only say, "Once a Duke, Always a Duke".

and thet ain't no bullljivin', sonnyjim.

Thomas J. Watson - WoodDorker

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

(webpage)

[Steven and Gail Peterson]

If they satisfy you, and you think they are great, ignore all the other responses. But there are other manufactureres. I have a number of Craftsman tools; some are good, others could be better. Applies to Delta and DeWalt too.

Steve

[Wilson Lamb]

RAS, 1972, Good. Used for everything under the sun, even firewood when I bought slabs as a poor student. Maybe I should say impecunious student.

Small metal router, 1980, Excellent Plastic router, 1990, so so. TS, 1972, Good. Fence fair minus, but usable with a little care. Ripping only. TS, 1968, Very good. Fence bad, but used for crooscut only, so not an issue. Two big angle grinders, 1975, Good. Sabre saw, 1975, OK. Bandsaw, old, used, Excellent. Planer, used, Very good, but a little short in the bed. Works fine. Standup drillpress, 1999, Very good.

What they need is some tool people who can keep the quality consistent. I've seen the junk, but there's lots of good too. Both these TS are very square and have almost immeasureable runout.

Wilson

[Leon]

OK. LROD... LOL Do you not get it? Bosch is building the red outer that looks like the Bosch 1617EVS. Dewalt did or still builds the black and silver plate joiner, and Dewalt did build the drills.

[Steve]

Great is not the issue: Usable and reliable are. And a vast customer service & replacement parts capability doesn't hurt either. I can still order some of the parts for that 32-year-old RAS (see below), for example.

Not ignored, but taken with a grain of salt, shall we say? And when someone's wrong, I have an obligation to say so, don't I? :-) Besides, The guy who started this thread obviously did it to start something. I felt duty-bound to help him out in that endeavor.

But there are other manufactureres.

You mean like the ones who make Craftsman tools? Sears doesn't make ANY of them--the list includes Emerson Electric, Singer, Bosch.

Craftsman tools aren't the only ones I have either. One of the reasons I have as many Craftsman tools as I do is that my mother-in-law in the

70's and 80's was a Sears employee in the HW/Tool department, so I not only was able to have her buy stuff for me on occasion, but she would tip me off when an exceptional sale was about to happen. That's how I got the RAS (regular price in 1973: $160, purchase price: $108) and a few of the other things I got back then.

Me too: The Black & Decker cordless drill I bought a while back was total crap--the Ryobi that replaced it was (and still is) excellent.

[Bob G]

Well Uncle Jessie and Steve have their opinions and I sure as the devil will not try to change them...

I purchased my original "set of powertools" over a 4to 5 year time frame from Sears in the late 60's early 70's...

Today I still use the following...

1. RAS....works fine as a cout off saw...has not moved off a 90 degree cut in 25 to 30 years...but it can cross cut accurate enough for my uses...not covered by the recall but worth more then the 100 bucks they would give me for it...
2. Lathe.... this thing is not all that great..lucky for me that I do not do a lot of turning..if I did I would junk it in a hurry
3. Stationary 6in belt and 9 in disc sander... well it still works just fine...belt tracks right on...but I have not had a disc glues on in years..
4. 12 in Band Saw... not really a bad saw...does what I want but I have gotten the bug to do some resawing that exceeds its limits..so It will be replaced in the very near future...
5. Floor model drill press... Sorry but this thing has been a workhorse and I would not trade it even up for a brand new Delta or Jet ... Its a keeper without doubt

Wow...I did not realize that I had so many Craftman tools still in the shop... I do NOT use the RAS nor the Lathe much...but the others I use almost daily...

Does this mean I would buy another Craftsman power tool..

Heck No... too many much better tools on the market at better prices and that do a better job ...

Remember the newest of my tools are now 30 to 35 years old and all seem to be built a little "tougher" then the new ones "look" to be.. I say look to be because I just never stop and look as I walk past the Tool department at Sears...heck I do not even walk into the store all that much...

Bob Griffiths