Craftsman tools division sold to Stanley!

[Bill Wilson]

There is a thread in the basement that links a related USA Today news story, which states that Stanley/B&D is planning on opening a US manufacturing plant to support the acquisition of Craftsman.  Perhaps the cloud has a silver lining?


news story

[Downwindtracker2]

Steel City started from the executives from Delta when there was a ownership change. They knew which Taiwanese/Chinese factories produced what.

[pprobus]

      The only decent power tools in their line now are their table saws and their routers both of which are the best they have ever produced.

I can't speak for their table saws, but I believe their current line of routers are re-badged Ryobi's.  In the early 2000's, their routers were made by Bosch.  I bought the variable speed, fixed and plunge base set that was made by Bosch, not to start an argument, but I find it hard to believe their current line of routers, which may be pretty good in their own right, are better than those re-badged Bosch's.

Paul

[Robert Adams]

I can't speak for their table saws, but I believe their current line of routers are re-badged Ryobi's.  In the early 2000's, their routers were made by Bosch.  I bought the variable speed, fixed and plunge base set that was made by Bosch, not to start an argument, but I find it hard to believe their current line of routers, which may be pretty good in their own right, are better than those re-badged Bosch's.

Paul

 Only their professional router was a bosch back then. I had one but the plunge base wasn't ttat great on the bosch ones so I sold it. However it did have better handles than the bosch branded version.

         The current ones are not re badged ryobi. They may be manufactured by TTI though as I have never looked at the manufacturer code. The only other brand I have seen it sold under i the blue hawk name in lowes in a kit with a router table but it is a single speed unit. 
         The current versions are are great bang for the buck (the all aaluminum  ones not the funky plastic one) The biggest annoyance is the cheap pvc cord which is not flexible. Course I have 4 mounted to router plates now all with cope and stick bits so I don't have to set up bits. The other issue is the speed control has has a slight lag to maintain speed when load changes but not a big deal. I still prefer my milwaukee routers but will keep stocking up on the sears one while it's cheap. Oh and the plunge base works surprisingly well. Smoother than the triton I had.

[K. L. McReynolds]

I used to work for Sears after High School(64). Bought Craftsman tools when I became a working mechanic. Found quite quickly, mechanics might have some Craftsman tools for basic stuff, but SnapOn and even Mac made better professional grade tools.

Sears had some problem way back. Biggest screwup was trashing mail order. Kenmore washers were great products, but marketing caused major sales losses. Then only difference between the top of the line versus most basic models were fancier controls and the designs. And those fancier controls broke more often and cost  an enormous amount to replace(repair was non existent).

Years ago, I bought a mini biscuit joiner(for use in joining picture frames). The only model I could find was a Craftsman. It worked for about 3 years and broke. Craftsman models were re-badged Ryobi units. That was what I had to buy(or exchange for the lifetime warranty). The salesman recommended 'breaking' it once a year and getting a replacement.

Quit buying Craftsman lawn tractors because Sears used proprietary parts. Bearings were marked with numbers that did not cross in size with the same number of other manufacturers. And the cost was twice the other brands.

Haven't set foot in a Sears retail store in more than 10 years, maybe longer. Used to have a Sears credit card that was so old, some stores machines could not process it. No idea where my last Sears card is now. I do use a nearby KMart occasionally(can remember when that store was built).

[Steve N]

Since it's heyday after the war, and I mean WW II they have steadily put one foot in front of the other, and with every step, they have literally stepped in "it". It's amazing they and K-Mart are still around in any form. I worked for Sears for 8 years after high school off and on, and K-Mart for 3 years. Today I would want my earnings paid weekly, in cash.

[whatline]

Lampert will go down in history as bafon no matter how much value he may get for the shareholders. He'll be Remembered only for the destruction of an iconic brand. Yes Sears hasn't been what it once was for a while but since his risen it's really sucked. He plans to sell off the kenmore and auto divisions as well.

[Downwindtracker2]

Years back we lost an excellent regional department store . The retail  experts had an interesting comment on it, they didn't have any middle class customers anymore, not enough middle class. This is not a poor area. Walmart is both a cause and a result.

[Arlin Eastman]

There is a thread in the basement that links a related USA Today news story, which states that Stanley/B&D is planning on opening a US manufacturing plant to support the acquisition of Craftsman.  Perhaps the cloud has a silver lining?


news story

I sure hope so since I would like to get a few complete sets when the Non profit is done for the vets by June or July

[Admiral]

Lampert will go down in history as bafon no matter how much value he may get for the shareholders. He'll be Remembered only for the destruction of an iconic brand. Yes Sears hasn't been what it once was for a while but since his risen it's really sucked. He plans to sell off the kenmore and auto divisions as well.

Well, he'll certainly be the last one in charge, but honestly, Sears has been terribly mismanaged for at least the last 30 years, and to be fair, he's just mucking out the stable from decades of manure that's just been raked around by prior management to make it look pretty. 

Brands fail when the consumer loses trust in either the product or the fair pricing of goods.  I lost mine in both somewhere back in the '80s.  I can count on one hand the number of times I actually bought something at Sears since then, and I was a pretty good customer.  Still have and regularly use a fine set of mechanics sockets and wrenches, open end and box, Cman screwdrivers, pliers and torque wrench, along with a tool box that I got in '66 - and boy I was a proud youngster when I used them when I'd repair small engines, and later, made several dune buggies from VWs.  I used to drool over the catalog.  Well made tools and nothing has failed since, including the tool box.