Craftsman Tools

SDMike

Member
I just exchanged a 3/8 drive flex-head ratchet, as the gears in mine were wore out. I was disappointed when I flipped the package over. "Made in China" I am not a professional wrench turner, but I do almost all my own repairs and occasionally repairs for others. Other than the truck vendors like Snap-On, Mac, Matco, and Cornwell, is there still a "Made in USA" brand of hand tools for the do it yourselfer that is as easy to return for a replacement? I am not a fan of the HF/Pittsburgh tools. I tried that once, and I refuse to go down that road again for hand tools. Does anyone have experience with the house brands of Menards (Masterforce), Lowes (Kobalt), or if Home Depot has a line of hand tools? Where are they made? Am I right to assume that Stanley, who purchased Craftsman, would be made in China as well? Maybe the best solution is to go to some pawn shops? Thanks for your input.

Mike
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You don't have to put up with those made in China tools.
Just send me all your craftsman tools.
I'll take them, made in China or not.
 
Channellock brand is USA made, they make ratchets, sockets.

Never tried the ratchets or sockets, but their slip joint pliers are great.

There are still a few American made products out there, but that is subject to change, some are mixed origin.

I see Craftsman Industrial mentioned as USA. Not sure where to buy them, if they are even still available.
 
Do not know about country of orgin, but the local Sears store and kmart closed last year. Sure did miss the black Friday ad after thanksgivings.
 
Some of the Craftsman are still made over hear,I think maybe the highly polished line still is but not sure.That's why I also look for Vise-grips at swap meets and flea markets because I don't want made in China tools.
 
S&K is not honoring their warranty anymore, had a couple of sockets that were broken, our local distributor for S&K would not exchange them as they told me S&K to honor their warranty. So they quit handling S&K and handle nothing but Craftsman. I still have the broken S&K sockets..
 
If the ratchets on the wall are Chinese I ask at the desk if they have any refurbished ratchets . The counter person opens a whole drawer of rebuild USA ones. Then I take a refurbished USA.
 
Old Vice Grips were USA.

New ones, made by Irwin, "Made in China to IRWIN specifications" in very small print on the back of the packaging.

They do seem to still have some quality though.
 
Now that I?m semi-retired, I get most of my tools at local Farm&Fleet. The Allen and Channelocks brands are made in US. I had to add a half inch drive set of metric sockets to my main box a few years back and went with the Duracraft line made in India/China due to cost and infrequent use. No complaints. Back in 1968 I bought the Snap-On mechanics starter set for $144.00, that set today (metric instead of fractional) is $1700.00. I don?t know how a young guy starting out as a tech can afford everything that they?re expected to have. Times sure have changed .
 
Craftsman stuff was great up till mebbe fifteen years ago. A fellow apprentice I knew bought Craftsman socket for work just before they brought out the push-button ratchets so we tried to break his so he could get it replaced with the new type. Clamped the drive in a real big vise and used a four foot pipe, it spread the vise. Tried with hardened steel plates in the vise. Then we clamped a 1/2 inch tool post wrench in the vise. We thought the ratchet teeth would give out first. Nope. The drive split. I got some SKs replaced a few years ago. Guy told me any that have a "C" prefix on the number were not warranteed but the other stuff was. My combination set had the C but not the sockets.
 
Mac is largely made overseas too, myself the best quality to price ratio is Stanley brand from Wal-Mart and such. Made overseas but a lot better quality than modern craftsman, and better price
 
Just information: Stanley and Mac are the same company,Mac might be chrome and Stanley may have a mat finish.
 
I think GearWrench is US made aren't they. They sure have a great return policy if you break something!!! I love my ratchets that my wife got me for Christmas a couple years ago.
 
(quoted from post at 20:52:42 01/09/18) Just information: Stanley and Mac are the same company,Mac might be chrome and Stanley may have a mat finish.

Along with Craftsman and Proto

http://toolguyd.com/tool-brands-corporate-affiliations/
 
Should have got a repair kit instead. I would never trade any of my ratchets in for replacement with Chinese ratchets. Sears stocks or can get repair kits for all of their older ratchets. My local Sears store does not charge for them all though I've heard stores do.
 
Last I heard Craftsman Industrial tools are no longer being made. The only tools available are what's left on the shelf. By the way I own quite a few Craftsman Industrial tools.
 
Just more information: Stanley owns Craftsman. Stanley promises to bring back manufacturing to the USA on some Craftsman tools.
 
For years we just took them to the dealer and no questions ask, replaced them... That is why I have gone exclusive to Craftsman tools, because I can get it replaced right then, and have to wait..
Who pays for the shipping, probably the user!! And what if ya need it right then, gotta wait for S&K to send the replacement back.. P__s poor warranty. that's why I go buy new from Craftsman, Snap on or Mac tool.
 
Craftsman, Allen and Matco ratchet heads look identical, the handles are different. The Craftsman says made in China, the Allen says USA, don't know what Matco says.
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Are we concerned only with made in the America, or is there also a concern about the company being American owned. Many companies are foreign owned.

Most tools or anything else might have some stuff made in the America, and other things from other places. Find one tool that says made in the America does not mean all of them are.
 
(quoted from post at 20:47:55 01/09/18) Should have got a repair kit instead. I would never trade any of my ratchets in for replacement with Chinese ratchets. Sears stocks or can get repair kits for all of their older ratchets. My local Sears store does not charge for them all though I've heard stores do.

Those repair kits are probably sorry like the other new stuff. Only way they wouldn't be is if they are old stock.
 
All I know is, I bought a new 1/2" drive ratchet a few months back and started off buying "Made in USA". The first one I got was a toss-up between two models. I liked one model because it didn't have the fat rubber handle, which makes using in tight quarters more difficult. However, the model without the rubber had two holes in it. The one I liked is #1 below and the one I ordered is #2. Look at the links and pay attention to the details I speak of.
#1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFL2FYY?ref=emc_b_5_i

#2 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EFL0ZGY?ref=emc_b_5_i

As mentioned, I didn't want the rubber handle, but didn't like the idea of my ratchet having holes going straight into the working mechanisms. So, I ordered the rubber handle. What I got did have the rubber handle, but also had the two holes, just like the other. I returned it. I contacted the manufacturer about the discrepancy, as the Crescent website shows the exact same photos. They told me that the photos without holes were wrong; that all of their ratchets now had those holes. They could not provide me a valid reason why, other than to say it's easier to lubricate them.

Next time I was in town, I looked at ratchets at Walmart. The best quality I saw there had the exact same problem - two holes near the select switch that would allow dirt and moisture directly to the inner workings.

After much research, I ended up choosing a different tool. Ordered it, got it, and LOVE IT!! Was just what I was looking for in the first place.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KLY1C5M?ref=emc_b_5_t

I [u:9ee3661cac]hate[/u:9ee3661cac] not buying American. That said, I also can't spend my money on tools that I don't feel are adequate for my needs or well engineered. As for the Crescent company, all of this happened 5 months ago and even the manufacturer still has the incorrect photos on their website.
http://www.crescenttool.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=1/2"+ratchet
 
In about 1970 I had all the same style Craftsman ratchets, even my torque wrench and stripped the teeth out of every one multiple times, traded all the junk into Snap On except a long 1/2 inch, the torque wrench and a short 1/2 inch. Busted the long one 6 or 8 years ago and a big Sears store in Rockford Ill. said they can't get parts for that style anymore. Offered me a generic junk looking short ratchet of a breaker bar, talked him in to the flex head 1/2 inch but I don't want anymore dept. store junk.
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Out of interest where are your Crescent tools made? Fencing pliers in particular.

We in Oz used to get them presumably made in USA. Expensive but they lasted. The last of that lot are worn loose in the joint and won't cut smaller wire anymore. I can't pein the rivet and close them as I used to.

So recently I had to buy another set. Different pattern and made in Taiwan. Haven't built a fence yet but after some repairs using our usual 2.5 mm high tensile wire the cutters are deforming and making the handles drag. I'm taking them back to see what the agent says. More when I know more.

Incidently Stanley bought out the Oz brand Sidchrome spanner (wrench) line.
 
Ian, it would seem that Crescent brand tools has some amount of manufacturing still here in the USA, but also has product made for them overseas.

I'm only guessing on this part, but might also be that they manufacture parts in another country, then have them shipped here for assembly. Seems the company doesn't like to tout just where their tools are made, so I would tend to believe this is a common practice for them.
 
(quoted from post at 05:36:39 01/11/18) Out of interest where are your Crescent tools made? Fencing pliers in particular.

Taiwan if bought in the last 2-3 years. At least that's what mine are stamped as. Same experience as you.

Have not tried Channel Lock or Milwaukee. I have not had good luck with Channel Lock lately but may have been my fault. Lots of guys say new Milwaukee hand tool line is good but expensive.

I just bit the bullet and replaced fence tool with Knipex high-strength wire/cable cutter and Knipex high leverage lineman pliers. Only tools worth a damn thing for pliers now. Shame it came to this but buy once cry once.

Grouse
 
(quoted from post at 19:25:12 01/09/18) Craftsman, Allen and Matco ratchet heads look identical, the handles are different. The Craftsman says made in China, the Allen says USA, don't know what Matco says.
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That's like saying me and Max Armstrong are identical twins. You can see several distinct differences in the head alone to know they're not the same.
 
If anyone is interested, I got an email from Sears Partsdirect listing USA made Craftsman Industrial tools at a discount while supplies last.
 

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