Get to know your Sears OEM companies

Given present quality, five years is overkill.

That assumes that the OEM will still support the tool. Given the way new models come out every year it is difficult to carry every part too long. Given the way people toss tools instead of repairing them, it makes little sense to stock much. Ed

IMHO, this is sad. Things *should* be repairable. I wish the environmental crowd would pile onto the "everything is disposable" issue instead of screaming endlessly about some other things. Imagine if things WERE made to be repairable and didn't end up in landfills. Mt. Trashmore wouldn't grow as fast.

I just hate that so much is disposable.

"Lazarus Long" <

Often things can be repaired, but are just too expensive to do so. You can buy a household iron for $13. How much time can a serviceman put into it to make a repair worthwhile? We demand cheap prices, we demand the latest technology, thus, repairs are not feasible.

Another is stupid design. I have a broken part on my car (heater for the seat). It should probably cost $20 if replaced by itself, but no, it is part of a $550 assembly that must be replaced. Make sense? I'm going to the regional office to see if I can get some help from GM. Ed snipped-for-privacy@snet.net

No problem, just don't buy any tools with tails from Sears. Screwdrivers, hammers, wrenches, fine. But I will not buy a high priced power tool with the Sears name on the side. Greg

How do you figure out who made what for Sears? Is the serial number any kind of clue?

Rob

The prefix of the model number shows who made it. 315 is Ryobi, 917 is AYP, etc.

GTO(John)

Depends on the tool. Most of the tailed stuff they sell is crap, but some of the Industrial or Professional tools are DeWalt or Bosch. Good value on the used market because the Craftsman name drops the price through the floor.

GTO(John)

So my wife's sewing machine wasn't made by Ryobi - good!

Is there an on-line reference anywhere that matches all the Sears code numbers to their corresponding OEM supplier. I seem to recall stumbling across such a site once, but I'll be darned if I can locate it now. TIA.

Rob

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"GTO69RA4" wrote ...

There are lots of different pages with numbers lists. They usually turn up with lots of Google searching.

Here's one of the more comprehensive lists that's been compiled:

GTO(John)

Is this the one you're thinking of?

That's easy. Nobody. (at least any Sears stuff I would consider having fixed) ;-)

Somebody had to say it.

Not comprehensive enough to cover 137 though.

Hmmmm... A mystery.

Looks like I must have this one:

Price: £219.00 Including VAT at 17.5% (£186.38 Ex VAT)

So it's basically the same price as the Crapsman version, except that one comes with a vise, a chuck collar thingie and some kind of switch inside the lid.

Well, that's about what I'd expect. Same tool without the extra blurfls at the same price. That's Crapsman.

It was still available here and now when I wanted it. The best looking DP in town. I still say the comparable Delta looks seriously more crappy on fit and finish.

This is definitely one of the things I mean.

You get a lot of this with newer Sears tools. Rexon isn't a real tool company, it's an importer along the lines HF or Homier. You'll find that most of the Sears stationary tools are generic Asian products. Same as Grizzly, same as Delta, same as HF, same as Disco Stu's Tool Emporium. The differece is in the quality control and sometimes detail parts.

GTO(John)

That's it exactly Mike. Thanks very much.

Rob

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"Mike Iglesias" wrote ...