Sears got rid of all the things a man might buy..its a women’s store ..how many women’s stores do women need??
In the 1980s all the construction workers went there for tools..
Then along came Home Depot
Then along came Harbor Freight.
Then along came Home Depot
Sort of. Then along came the cheapening of Craftsman tools. Electric tools were being made by the cheapest international manufacturer that guaranteed the tool wasn't going to last very long. And when the tool failed, it was impossible to fix because Sears had no idea who made the tool in the first place.
Plus, Craftsman mechanics tools used to be an industry standard, but they decided to cheapen those as well. The last time I bought Craftsman sockets they were about the same quality I'd find at the dollar store.
Craftsman had a policy, if it broke bring it back. Never had an issue. When that changed that policy, but prices remained the same, very bad idea. I can go to HD or Lowes and get tools cheaper and easier to return.
Been nice knowing ya Sears
There was a story here some time ago - within the last two years — that the profitable divisions were Kenmore (appliances), Craftsman (tools), and Diehard (car batteries). I think they sold off Craftsman since then.