I've never had a problem returning or exchanging tools at sears... even when I screw up and abuse it so bad that it breaks.. I took in a 3/4" breaker bar that we broke in half (you don't want to know how *g*) and the guy at sears took a look at it, got me a new one, then sat down and asked how the hell I broke it.. *lmao*
Has nothing to do with yuppiness. I was about to give up with anything that required a router out of frustration. But decided it can't be that I'm that bad so I went and bought a PC and found out it wasn't me screwing up all that wood, most of the time anyway :) Its about using the right tool for the job, a craftsman router is designed to be used once or twice and sit on the shelf, a better brand that isn't much more expensive is designed to be used to make things. Same with any other tools, buy a wrench from wal mart and it won't last if you try to rebuild an engine but if you just tighten a loose bolt on the swing set it will probably work fine. Your would be much better off to buy a used quality tool than a new cheap tool. I have a nice new almost never used black and decker jigsaw which won't cut a straight line not matter what kind of blade I feed it so it was a complete waste of money. So is someone who can't afford to start someone who has money to throw away? Is it better for someone to spend $100 on a router, have it ruin a first project and get frustrated and throw it away and walk away from the hobby that they could have enjoyed?
Very true, however is the newbie going to be able to tell which crasftman tools are good? Thats one of the marketing reasons of a brand, if it meets or exceeds your expectations then it gets known as a good brand. If 9 out of 10 of the brands products are junk then that hurts the brand name over all even if they happen to make a good product every now and then. There are plenty of other brands that may make a good tool or two but allow their line to have so many bad ones that you would never know it. I have a worthless black and decker jigsaw sitting in my garage because their name once stood for quality but no longer does.
He looks for the "Craftsman Professional" or "Craftsman Industrial" label.
When did their name stand for quality? It was considered to be crap when I was a kid and and that was going on half a century ago.
I must just be lucky.. my ol' craftsman router is as accurate and the day I got it, and beside occasional use for over 20 years, it spent 3 years in a commercial routing table, edge rounding all day...
Key Words: 20 years
Older Craftsman tools are better than what they make now.
Ed Pawlowski responds:
Some are, some aren't. Case in point: the new Craftsman table saws.
Charlie Self "There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up." Booker T. Washington
The craftsman router I had was labeled a professional but was anything but.
My father still has and uses a corded B&D drill that he bought 30 years ago, and upgraded the chuck to 1/2" from 3/8" and even has some bigher than 1/2" bits that he turned the shank down on to fit in the 1/2" chuck. Drills holes in old truck frames when they turn them into hay wagons and that drill still runs fine.
20 years ago they made good stuff. 2-3 years old (like the one I had) and it won't be
everything was built better in the old days... (at least that's what I always tell my wife)
no shit... last night, my wife gave me a Craftsman 1/2" cordless drill driver for an early b-day present... it says "made in china" all over it..
So who made it?
He's lucky.
On the plus side you have a wife who buys you power tools. You lucky bugger.
Fraser
for sure... not even my b-day until the weekend and she's already raided my online wish list and got me the drill, a recip saw and an amplified fm antenna for the shop... no telling WHAT might be arriving this weekend! lol
Ryobi
Well the B&D of 30 years ago were better quality than those of today, as were the Craftsman.
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