Sears selling Craftsman

Moparsmitty · Jan 5, 2017

Sears has been on it's last legs for some time and it looks like the end is near. They are closing another 104 stores and selling their Craftsman trademark to Stanley Tools. It's surprising to me that Stanley is willing to pay $900 million for the Craftsman trademark. Years ago Craftsman meant good quality tools and equipment, but today it means very little to me unless I'm buying a fifty year old wrench at a garage sale. Sad to see the employees losing their jobs.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/01/05/sears-ending-leases-another-19-stores/96163038/

vintage chromoly · Jan 5, 2017

Just bought a vintage set of craftsman offset box wrenches on eBay.
The new ones are Hecho in China so I can't buy them! :soapbox:

super-bee_ski · Jan 5, 2017

Another Obama era business down the drain
Thank China for this, underpricing our stores

Habib · Jan 5, 2017

There is no sense in buying Craftsman tools now if they are all made in China. Vintage ones maybe, but if it breaks it will just get replaced with something from overseas anyway. And Harbor freight has About the same quality and even some better things then Craftsman does and way better deals. If you want Tools that will last a long time buy them off a Truck Or go on ebay and buy them on there like i do. No warranty though.

the mississippi madman · Jan 5, 2017

I thought they sold the rights to Craftsman some time ago that's why I've been seeing them in other stores besides Sears

brian6pac · Jan 5, 2017

Habib said:
There is no sense in buying Craftsman tools now if they are all made in China. Vintage ones maybe, but if it breaks it will just get replaced with something from overseas anyway. And Harbor freight has About the same quality and even some better things then Craftsman does and way better deals. If you want Tools that will last a long time buy them off a Truck Or go on ebay and buy them on there like i do. No warranty though.

No Warranty? If it says Mac, Matco, Snap-On it has a warranty I don't care where you got it.

Habib · Jan 5, 2017

brian6pac said:
No Warranty? If it says Mac, Matco, Snap-On it has a warranty I don't care where you got it.

Yea but if i bought a Used Snap on tool from someone and it broke i dont think Snap on will let you take it back because you didnt buy it directly from them. Craftsman was more liberal with their Return policy.

coloradodave · Jan 5, 2017

super-bee_ski said:
Another Obama era business down the drain
Thank China for this, underpricing our stores

Come on ski, Sears was going downhill long before Barry got into office...and as far as China, we wouldn't have this problem if consumers would quit buying products based solely on how cheap it is. If there was no demand for cheap crap it wouldn't exist...

Funship32 · Jan 5, 2017

I know a few month ago I went to pick up a socket set at Sears and was surprised that it was all made in China. Needless to say- I didn't buy it. I could, after all, get a similar set from Harbor Freight (made in Taiwan) for 1/2 the price and get another 20% off on top of that. Being a 'buy 'merican' kinda guy, I ended up getting a used set of Craftsman on Ebay but I too agree- I think Sears pretty much signed its death sentence with this deal. Not that there wasn't a whole lot keeping it alive anyway as Sears has been horribly mis-managed since they were taken over by K-mart holdings back in 2002.
** Personal rant**: This is, IMO, another case of good old college boys who consider themselves "masterminds" of the universe yet I personally wouldn't put them in charge of a lemonade stand....much like Jack Welch, 'Chainsaw' Al Dunlap, or Jim McNearny. Good bye, Sears, I enjoyed you while it lasted.

Steve009 · Jan 5, 2017

Habib said:
Yea but if i bought a Used Snap on tool from someone and it broke i dont think Snap on will let you take it back because you didnt buy it directly from them. Craftsman was more liberal with their Return policy.

from my experience if you bring a broken snap on tool to them they dont care who purchased it or when. in my opinion hands down the best tool company.

Budnicks · Jan 5, 2017

super-bee_ski said:
Another Obama era business down the drain
Thank China for this, underpricing our stores

Also
You didn't build that BS nonsense !!
making American manufacturing, labor & price driven causes
some of the biggest issues in our country, hard to compete
with our corp. tax structure & labor wages/laws/regulations etc.
that gotten far worse since 2008 {starting in 1976 & escalated 1992}...
When China & others, that undercut all our pricing/trade inequities...

Americans & America 1st & foremost, I hope it happens & soon,
maybe we will have less of these long term iconic brands of
Made in the USA, all going away or outsourcing....

Yes it was happening some before the current admin.,
IMO it's far worse now than 8-10 years ago, getting worse year by year,
regardless what happened before then...

Moparsmitty said:
Sears has been on it's last legs for some time and it looks like the end is near. They are closing another 104 stores and selling their Craftsman trademark to Stanley Tools. It's surprising to me that Stanley is willing to pay $900 million for the Craftsman trademark. Years ago Craftsman meant good quality tools and equipment, but today it means very little to me unless I'm buying a fifty year old wrench at a garage sale. Sad to see the employees losing their jobs.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/01/05/sears-ending-leases-another-19-stores/96163038/

Thanks for sharing I saw that too,
I thought it was being branded/used {sold the rights}
by/to other companies, a long time ago too...
Many outlets & online stores, were selling that name Craftsman...

Agreed :thumbsup:

on both accounts

Cranky · Jan 5, 2017

Funship32 said:
I know a few month ago I went to pick up a socket set at Sears and was surprised that it was all made in China. Needless to say- I didn't buy it. I could, after all, get a similar set from Harbor Freight (made in Taiwan) for 1/2 the price and get another 20% off on top of that. Being a 'buy 'merican' kinda guy, I ended up getting a used set of Craftsman on Ebay but I too agree- I think Sears pretty much signed its death sentence with this deal. Not that there wasn't a whole lot keeping it alive anyway as Sears has been horribly mis-managed since they were taken over by K-mart holdings back in 2002.
** Personal rant**: This is, IMO, another case of good old college boys who consider themselves "masterminds" of the universe yet I personally wouldn't put them in charge of a lemonade stand....much like Jack Welch, 'Chainsaw' Al Dunlap, or Jim McNearny. Good bye, Sears, I enjoyed you while it lasted.

Don't know what Bob Nardelli's college back ground is but he's another tool.....

FlagCraig · Jan 5, 2017

The only tool my dad would buy was Craftsman. Thankfully I inherited quite of few of those tools. No tools today compare. Plus they bring back great memories....."here hold this wrench"....."go get me the 1/2" and the big screwdriver".....haha.

Beekeeper · Jan 5, 2017

brian6pac said:
No Warranty? If it says Mac, Matco, Snap-On it has a warranty I don't care where you got it.

This correct, It don't matter who you buy it from they will honor the guarantee

mopar 3 B · Jan 5, 2017

I have not had much luck with MATCO tools in the last 10 years either. Just keep getting cheaper in quality. I do not care much for the feel of Snap-on ratchets and wrenches with skinny handles and small shafts.
I can not afford to lose a 15.00. wrench on a jobsite. When a whole set can be bought at HF for a few dollars more the lose of 1 wrench is not a big deal.
But yes at home for personal use quality matters.
Sear has saved Craftsman by parting it off and not dragging it down the out of business tube.

Moparsmitty · Jan 5, 2017

the mississippi madman said:
I thought they sold the rights to Craftsman some time ago that's why I've been seeing them in other stores besides Sears

I'm fairly certain that Sears is just selling the trademarked name "Craftsman" to Stanley. I doubt that there are very many physical assets that go along with the deal. You are right that Sears has been farming out the trade name for a while. It's just that now Stanley will own the rights.

65-440 · Jan 5, 2017

Habib said:
Yea but if i bought a Used Snap on tool from someone and it broke i dont think Snap on will let you take it back because you didnt buy it directly from them. Craftsman was more liberal with their Return policy.

You most certainly can ! If it's got their name on it they will warrantee it (hand tools)... I had a broken snapon flat head from the 70's. Tool guy laughed when he saw it the replaced then blade. I wouldn't waste money on matco honestly, they are not as Good as snap on or Mac....

texas69bee · Jan 5, 2017

super-bee_ski said:
Another Obama era business down the drain
Thank China for this, underpricing our stores

This is far from Obama's fault or China for that matter. Sears in general has been on a steady decline for a while. I'm not sure about where you live but the service that I have received at any Sears is pathetic. Under staffed, under educated and mismanaged. Even the web site blows. Brick and mortar is out and online shopping is in.
Far as the Craftsman brand, I own a nice set of sockets, wrenches ratchets, etc... but those were purchased almost 30 yrs ago. Thank God I did, now I see them as being over priced. I can buy the same tool different brand at Oreilly's, AutoZone, Home Depot, Lowes, Harbor Freight, Northern Tools, ETC... so much cheaper. I don't worry about the lifetime warranties anymore. They will be lost before I can use the warranty. Welcome to the global economy.

ZR9B · Jan 5, 2017

I bought my kid a craftsman wrench and socket set....the wrenchs "look"the same and weigh the same ....they were on sale $10 a set.....they dont say usa though....we will see

khryslerkid · Jan 5, 2017

the mississippi madman said:
I thought they sold the rights to Craftsman some time ago that's why I've been seeing them in other stores besides Sears

ACE Hardware has been selling Craftstman for awhile now.

Sears selling Craftsman

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