Sears is closing stores...

[Mopars & Missiles]

I bought my Craftsman Socket & wrench sets in 1988 at Sears....still use them to this day.

Same here, only it was '74 when I got mine. Still in the toolbox and use them almost daily.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

...and everything you do, will be recorded, taxed, and put in some data-base. Shop local, pay cash, and keep some of your life to yourself.

mmissile's comments are now duly recorded and stored in said data-base.

 

[PRND21]

I bought my Craftsman Socket & wrench sets in 1988 at Sears....still use them to this day.

I started a Sears charge account in 1977 to buy my first set of tool boxes. They were stolen in 1989 along with most of my older tools. I got to thinking of these tools, a lot of these tools were gifts from dad over the years. At Christmas and birthdays dad always got me a tool usually not much else except for some clothes. My first socket set was a Christmas present when I was 9. I always appreciated those gifts, and I used them on everything.

 

[fwi]

Kmart in New Zealand

View attachment 378401

Down under

 

[Moparsmitty]

I bought my Craftsman Socket & wrench sets in 1988 at Sears....still use them to this day.

1966 for me. Good stuff back then. I still use 'em almost every day.

 

[vintage chromoly]

I too, have hundreds of decades old craftsman tools that are good quality.

The issue is that the quality is suspect and they are depending on the name to carry the brand.

I refuse to buy Chinese tools. Absolutely refuse! Same goes for engine parts. I've taken to buying used tools off ebay so I can get decent stuff I can pass on to the kids.

The wide spread acceptance that "hey, for what I'm doing, imported crap is great" turns my stomach.

 

[Pops1967GTX]

Once a year you would do replacement tool run to sears. the hand tools have a Lifetime Warranty. all you had to do was exchange them...

 

[GTXperience]

When you get old and live in a truck, you can order your kids from Sears & Roebuck

They dropped the Roebuck name many moons ago but I remember seeing it on their signage. The appliance, tools and hardware store by me just closed. Got a battery for my garden tractor during the sale but used to go there somewhat often. The mom and pop hardware store closed last year and well, it's several miles to Home Junko and Lower then dirt. It sucks. Got my first credit card in 85 from Sears too but there's no way I carry a balance on it. Damn interest rate is through the roof! Drove by the the big box store on my way back and forth to work in what used to be the heart of town in the mid 70's and would stop in if I needed a tool. I found their tools to be ok...a bit on the soft side for every day use but still strong and still have the majority of them. Really can't can't compare the long term wear since I have very few Snap Ons etc but they felt more comfortable in my hands. Imo, SnapOn was too thin and hurt my hands when a lot of pressure was applied...

Yes, Roebuck got out of the biz before the turn of the 20th century. Hs half of the biz was sold for something like $75K.

 

[GTXperience]

I too, have hundreds of decades old craftsman tools that are good quality.

The issue is that the quality is suspect and they are depending on the name to carry the brand.

I refuse to buy Chinese tools. Absolutely refuse! Same goes for engine parts. I've taken to buying used tools off ebay so I can get decent stuff I can pass on to the kids.

The wide spread acceptance that "hey, for what I'm doing, imported crap is great" turns my stomach.

Just a FYI. I stopped at a local pawn shop 2 days ago that I have been driving by for some time and 30%-40% of their merchandise was tools/shop equipment. There was some nice stuff in there for very good prices.

 

[metaldad]

sears and kmart should have died years ago.
obviously, there is still some money for eddie lampert to squeeze out of them.
it's been a long slow death

 

[mmissile]

mmissile's comments are now duly recorded and stored in said data-base.

Trust me....I'm in data-bases, most aren't.

 

[GTXperience]

Just a FYI. I stopped at a local pawn shop 2 days ago that I have been driving by for some time and 30%-40% of their merchandise was tools/shop equipment. There was some nice stuff in there for very good prices.

Btw: Nice stuff included Matco & Cornwell hand tools, tons of Milwaukee power tools and 2 Ingersoll Rand T30 compressors. And to top it off, DVDs were on special: $1/ea. ;)

 

[GTXperience]

Trust me....I'm in data-bases, most aren't.

We're not talking databases like the FBI's Top 10 are we? ;)

 

[Richard Cranium]

The bra and panties section in the old Sears catalog was a great place years ago for an adolescent, such as I was, to explore the fairer sex for the very first time.

And before you laugh at me, I'm sure that there are others here who did the same thing.

 

[Moparsmitty]

Just a FYI. I stopped at a local pawn shop 2 days ago that I have been driving by for some time and 30%-40% of their merchandise was tools/shop equipment. There was some nice stuff in there for very good prices.

I've found some good tools in pawnshops in the past, but I have better luck at garage sales. I live out in the sticks and it seems like the garage/estate sales out here are more likely to have good tools for sale than the ones in town.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

Still have my Craftsman toolbox on a special deal with the Chrysler trouble shooting contest in 1974.

 

[steve from staten island]

When i was 13 for Christmas, Santa brought me a 1/2 drive Craftsman socket set. That was 1965 and i still have and use them to this day. Sears in our local mall had two floors, a huge auto section with bays, a parts dept for anything with the Sears name. Now they have one floor, no more auto. The appliance dept is a big part and thats about it. I to feel Sears time may have come, very sad indeed.

 

[GTXperience]

The bra and panties section in the old Sears catalog was a great place years ago for an adolescent, such as I was, to explore the fairer sex for the very first time.

And before you laugh at me, I'm sure that there are others here who did the same thing.

Yep, my mother was always complaining that the Sears catalog was always missing. I don't know where it went. ;)

 

[Photon440]

Once a year you would do replacement tool run to sears. the hand tools have a Lifetime Warranty. all you had to do was exchange them...

A few years back I took six broken Craftsman ratchets and wrenches back to Sears for replacement. Since none of them were in the current catalog, they replaced none of them. Guess how many of their tools I've purchased since then?

 

[Riverdawg]

A few years back I took six broken Craftsman ratchets and wrenches back to Sears for replacement. Since none of them were in the current catalog, they replaced none of them. Guess how many of their tools I've purchased since then?

Wow, that really sucks. I'd try again. I just took a ratchet, socket and swivel back yesterday and they replaced everything. Although I did notice after I got home that the ratchet was refurbished. We did buy a home tool kit for my daughter now that she is really out of the house and has an apartment at college and a basic tool kit for my son who just finished college earlier this year. I was planning to add tools to both over the years, but it may not be Craftsman stuff, mainly because most of it's made in China anymore. What I really noticed and have noticed for several years is it takes forever to check out of the place. The computer/register systems are so old and slow. It took me 20-25 minutes just to check out yesterday.