Craftsman Tools degrading?

[REVROK]

Kinda interesting to here this, I think that Matco tools are garbage and over priced. For most of the tools I need I can get them through Snap-On for near the same price (some times less) and much better quality. I have five Matco tools I have bought all around the same time and three of them have taken a crap and are not under warranty. I would buy Craftsman over Matco anyday.

Matco and Craftsman hand tools are made by the same company in the USA- Danaher tools http://www.team.net/www/morgan/tech/whotools.html. They were made by Stanley until 1994, who owns and makes MAC. The truth is that these three brands are actually fundamentally identical. Really the only legitimate argument about hand tool superiority is Snap-On since they make their own and have always made them without compromise.

 

[REVROK]

OK, here's the deal.
Most people don't know this, but Craftsmen and Matco are owned by the same company, a HUGE global conglomerate that goes by the name of DANAHER.
Danaher also owns the companies that make Allen tools, Jacobs Brake systems(Jake Brakes), Tektronix, Fluke, and a ton of companies that will be familiar and a lot you have never heard of.
If you don't believe me, just go to danaher.com and poke around. You will be amazed.

All Danaher cares about is maximizing profit by driving down production costs and keeping quality at the bare minimum acceptable level.

If they can find a way to trim 2 cents off of a product they will do it, because in the long run it will mean millions of bucks of bottom line profit.

Craftsmen Tools are focused on the home mechanic, but the marketing makes you think otherwise.
Matco tools are focused on the pro mechanic.
That's why the quality differs so much.

Older Crafstmen tools are very much the quality tools of legend.
Current Crafstmen tools are.......well ......just crap.


Both Matco and Craftsmen are manufactured overseas (guess where).

Matco is also made by Danaher... neither are made overseas. http://www.danaher.com/business/strategic_detail.asp?key=12

 

[Jeepm@n]

I use hand tools only with the Craftsman name. I do get grief bringing things back sometimes. I hate that K Mart makes you go to a Sears dealer here and then the dealer takes your old broken tool and in 4-6 weeks they send you a new one. TOTAL CRAP. I did receive as a gift a 1/2" air impact gun and will never buy another Craftsman air or power tool. My cheap HF one is twice the power with less weight and 1/3 the price. I took it in and because it was a gift they won't do crap to look at it unless I send it in with $45 dollars to refurbish it.

 

[Hackmeister]

I had to replace my 1/2" drive rachet after not even 6 months of use, but they did replace it no questions asked with a new one from the shelf. Maybe the rebuild kit policy depends on the store, and if they were to give me a rebuild kit I'd probably make a stink and make them give me a fresh one, or at least a nice free set of snap ring pliers to rebuild it . I already need to replace my 3/8" drive rachet now too, since it's getting too sticky and won't rachet anymore. I'll see how it goes, hopefully well.

 

[ehall]

I've been alright on hand tool exchanges. I bought three ratches for my bag a couple of years ago, one was defective on arrival and I traded it at the local Sears no questions asked "okay go get another one." I broke one of them when doing my lift recently, and the local outlet swapped it for a similar one no problem (they did not have the exact same one). Later that week I twisted a 3/8 to 1/2 adapter and they swapped it no questions. That is three tools replaced that I didn't even buy from them.

 

[2000bluexj]

I need to open up my ratchets and give them a cleaning and some oil. They work pretty good after that. Ive only had trouble with a few sockets but no big deal. Im not going to spend the money on snap on or else. I like the kobalt brand, but usually dont have what im looking for. Sears is 10 minutes down the rd.

 

[RenoXJ]

Craftsman sockets and ratchets are really nice IMO

 

[Johnnie Walker]

With sears it is hit and miss, on whether you get a NEW replacement, or a refurb. There are a few places here in my city that sell craftsman that you get a NEW replacement no questions asked. K-mart being one of them.

 

[stewie]

Im sure they're getting bad, but theres no way they are as bad as HF.

The lifetime warranty on hand tools keeps me coming back.

IIRC HF now has a lifetime warranty on their hand tools. yep, just checked the site and it lists a "no hassle return policy." i guess that puts crapsman on the same level as HF now. oh and crapsman keeps reducing the number of tools that has a warranty. i tried to exchange a c clamp that is at least 20 years old and they told me they wouldnt exchange it because c clamps no longer have a lifetime warranty. and that was said by a manager

I think the Craftsman hand tools are going down hill, but the warranty has always kept coming back. I always buy the Made In USA stuff. I have an old craftsman #2 phillips and some new ones, the new tips don't last for shit. I also buy the craftsman tape measures.If you don't break the ruler tape they are also lifetime warranty. Never had a problem turning the broken tools, just have to help the clerk find my correct replacement model.

i work in construction. i bought a 25' crapsman tape to use at work. the longest time i went without returning it was two weeks. i have returned that tape at least 6 times before i gave up. the customer "service" d-bag gave me a hassle 4 of the 6 times saying that the tapes were not covered. true the tape wasnt but the rest of the tape measure is. i would have to demonstrate each time that the blade lock was not working. i had a HF tape for a while that lasted about 6 months before it fell from about 10' up braking the case.

i now buy my automotive hand tools at NAPA. i have never been given flak about returning something. i have broken a couple allen head bits and a 1/2" drive ratchet. NAPA has a lifetime warranty on all their hand tools. when your out wheeling and your junk brakes, thats bad. what is even worse is what if you break a tool on a trail repair. i want to be able to get a replacement without having to go too far. whats the nearest sears to Moab? i dunno, but i do know that Moab (as well as most small towns) has a NAPA. how many small towns have a Sears again?

 

[karstic]

Torque wrenches no longer have the lifetime warranty either.

 

[kastein]

Just checked at the local Home Depot and Husky stuff is only exchangeable if you have the receipt. I know for sure I've brought stuff in without a receipt before, so I suspect that it depends on who's standing at the returns counter when you show up.

Here's hoping the girl who complimented me on my "vintage leather jacket" (craigslist plus crawling around under the Jeep = beat up jacket) is the one there when I exchange my ratchets sometime this week...

 

[Jeepman401]

At work, a good portion of my hand tools are snap-on. sockets that I use every day are all snap-on, some of the ones I only use occasionally are craftsman.

I refuse to use a craftsman ratchet any more, its just not worth it to me to bust up my knuckles when (not if) the gears give out. I am not saying snap-on ratchets never break, but I have never had one completely fail on me, they always start out by skipping a tooth now and then.

At home, the majority of my tools are craftsman, but thats because I dont have the money to spend on snap-on tools for home.

I know I will never buy torx sockets from craftsman again, I have a nice scar from the tip of my pinky almost to my wrist from when one broke and cut me through a glove.

 

[ehall]

What's the consensus opinion on Master Mechanic tools sold at Ace and True Value? They have some magnetic-tip screwdrivers that caught my eye. I've bought a couple of drill bits which have worked okay but I assume all this stuff is made by somebody else

 

[REVROK]

Torque wrenches no longer have the lifetime warranty either.

The mechanicals on torque wrenches are warrantied, but the accuracy is not. Even Snap-On does not do that.

 

[Sean5294]

i have never had a problem with my craftsman hand tools and they take a beating

 

[USAFXJ]

I prefer the Craftsman Professional line that we use in the military

 

[onlyajeep94]

craftsman tools are degrading example i have 6 ratchets and three are slipping gears on me and there not that old but for the money and the instant replacement not to forget their made in the USA all around solid mechanic tools

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Love my craftsman tools as much as my snap ons. Also love my HF tools. My craftsmen jack sucks ass and its 3 weeks old.

 

[rockfrog]

Just broke a 19mm today. Split it down both sides. No I wasn't abusing it, it's kind of hard to abuse something on a 3/8" rachet.

 

[AIbandit]

My craftsmen jack sucks ass and its 3 weeks old.

I'm glad someone else feels my pain. although I did use mine on the side of I-5 lastnight then my girls sister had a blowout. They can lift hondas just not f250's