Sears quality fell off when they went cheap...
They used to carry quality men’s clothing and Craftsman tools had a lifetime guarantee...
The J C Higgins sporting goods was mid quality and they had a large selection to choose from...
They used to carry quality men’s clothing and Craftsman tools had a lifetime guarantee...
Many years ago my dad had a Craftsman framing hammer that I broke one of the claws off busting slag off a weld I had made on one of our tractors. My dad told me to take it back to Sears and they would replace it with a new one. I couldn’t believe it when they actually did it.
Unfortunately, a week later I went to a lumber mill auction and bought a bunch of old 3 phase electrical equipment. On the way back something broke on the flatbed truck I was using and I had to get under the truck and bang on it with the hammer and hay wire it back together. When I got back I realized that I had left my shiny new hammer under the truck. I drove 50 miles back to where I had the trouble, but someone had already found the hammer.
Craftsman doesn’t mean what it used to. I bought an impact driver from Sears a couple years ago; it was made in China. The battery would drive about three lag bolts before it was through. After two weeks it quit working altogether. I assume it was defective from the start but didn’t have time to waste making sure. I took it back and bought a Harbor Freight tool for half the price which works much better and has served me well for the past couple of years.
I think that is their point. If they drop craftsman I would guess the lifetime warranty is gone.
I totally agree. My daughters got me a Craftsman tool chest for Christmas a few years ago. I didn't need it as I have other tool chests, but put it alongside the others. The Craftsman was of poor quality, thin sheet metal, bad welds, lousy rails and handles, everything was bad about it in comparison to the others I owned which were probably made in China and cost a third.
I used to buy only DieHard batteries, but in recent years after several premature failures I abandoned them for other brands. DieHards are now lousy batteries.
I still own a number of Craftsman tools but purchased them long ago before the quality problems they're having now. I have fond memories of my Dad taking me to Sears on weekends, huge store with gardening, automotive, appliances, everything you could want including a snack bar where I enjoyed hot dogs and popcorn. All good stuff gone except mediocre items.
They still do, or did last year.
Had a 30-yr old Craftsman ratchet wrench replaced; no questions asked.