# Stanley B&d Buying Craftsman



## T. J. (Jan 6, 2017)

I had heard (I think elsewhere in this forum) that Sears was trying to sell the Craftsman brand. I got this email today. What do y'all think this means for the quality of their tools - will it get better or continue to decline?






Sorry for the screenshots, it wouldn't let me copy and paste the text.


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## ELHEAD (Jan 6, 2017)

Also today I saw that B&D are looking to move at least some of their manufacturing back to the USA.
I for one can hardly wait to see what will come of this. Maybe we are on the front edge of something that will swell int a tsunami of traditionally US companies returning to their roots. I for one hope to see quality return to our goods and tools.
Dave


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## wawoodman (Jan 6, 2017)

It's good to have a dream.

I'll believe it when I start seeing Made in USA back on tools.


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## GarageGuy (Jan 6, 2017)

I think this is an excellent opportunity for Stanley B&D to make the Craftsman name a premium brand again.  I'm also watching with interest.

GG


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## Charles Spencer (Jan 7, 2017)

wawoodman said:


> I'll believe it when I start seeing Made in USA back on tools.



I actually did see it on a set of Stanley screw drivers from Walmart.  So I bought them even though I didn't need them at the time.  They're ok.

Here's a news story:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/craft...uestion-after-900-million-sale-202603636.html


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## kvt (Jan 7, 2017)

I wander if they will honor the warranty on the old tools any better than sears started doing.    They could give a big hassle on it.


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## Mikesal (Jan 7, 2017)

When I heard on the radio that sears was selling craftsman tools (no other details), I told my wife I would never have a reason to walk into a sears store again.....


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## kvt (Jan 8, 2017)

Here is one that I just read, 
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/...uestion-after-900-million-sale-202603636.html
sears will continue to sell them but the warranty is in question,   and It even explains the warranty system in place since 14 which is why some will not take returns etc.


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## Kevin J (Jan 9, 2017)

In my personal opinion
No good can come from this sale. Black and Decker/Stanley ruin everything they touch.


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## Bill Gruby (Jan 9, 2017)

Please, anyone making a statement like that one, add that it is your opinion. Others may agree but you said it, not others. Thank you.

 "Bill Gruby -- Global Moderator and Board Member"


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## wawoodman (Jan 9, 2017)

Bill,
I think all of us are old enough to realize that views stated are opinions. No need to qualify them as such.


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## markba633csi (Jan 9, 2017)

Actually this could ENSURE the craftsman brand survives if Sears goes under...
Mark S.


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## Bill Gruby (Jan 9, 2017)

wawoodman said:


> Bill,
> I think all of us are old enough to realize that views stated are opinions. No need to qualify them as such.



 You may be correct, but it is better said than left out. Bigger conflicts have started with less fuel. I stand by what I stated.

 "Bill"


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## wawoodman (Jan 9, 2017)

markba633csi said:


> Actually this could ENSURE the craftsman brand survives if Sears goes under...
> Mark S.



And that would be a good thing IF it's the Craftsman that was, not the Craftsman that currently is. IMO, of course.


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## Groundhog (Jan 9, 2017)

In 2006 one of Stanley's brands (Mac) was fined by the FTC for stamping a ratchet "Made in the USA" when in fact it was imported. Lets hope are more honest now. (https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/pre...ey-made-false-made-usa-claims-about-its-tools)


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## The Liberal Arts Garage (Jan 9, 2017)

Sears kept my father operating  and my mother keeping a minimal household 
Functioning through the Great Depression---"Good, Better, Best". In my turn,
I bought Sears through my working life (often second-hand +a bit of lasting
repair)   Now I am 81 and beyond sanity and bodily Power ; If only Sears had picked
 Up online sales before E- bay  in the first flowering of Web Sales........ I was 
There when Arpa-net was fresh at "my"LaboraTory. Remember, Railway
Express and its  Post office accompaniment  made the same merchandising 
we enjoy today possible............BLJHB.


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## FOMOGO (Jan 9, 2017)

Bought a Stanley 1/2" ratchet at Walmart to throw in the truck. Not horrible, but definitely nothing to write home about. Bought my first Craftsman top box and tool set in 74 and added to it over the years. I love my old stuff, but also over the years you could see the quality diminish. Just another sad story, but when a market makes itself known, something usually comes along to fill it. As much as I love nostalgia, sometimes you just have to move on. Still keep my eyes peeled for the old stuff. Mike


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## CluelessNewB (Jan 9, 2017)

<opinion>
Craftsman was only a name slapped on tools made by others.  Some were good, some were a good value and some, well not so much.  At one time I believe they did have some decent management that at least knew something about tools.  I don't believe that is true now and hasn't been for at least the past 10 or 15 years.  Sears had a established mail order business and could easily been what Amazon is today.   Short sighted management and kept them out of the online game until it was too late and even today their web site is horrible.  
</opinion>


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## Firestopper (Jan 9, 2017)

Sears was once a power house company that sold everything from log cabins to guns via catalog. Fast forward to the 90's and their CEO and other leadership missed the vision of the next big step, the internet. They (executives) still made big bucks but the companies demise was already set in motion. 
I remember at 12 years old, I would stand in awe at the large Craftsman tool set displayed on the wall dreaming of one day owning it. Yea, I have been a tool junky from a young age.
I did end up purchasing smaller sets of  craftsman tool on sale but over the past 15 years have lost faith in quality replacement . I also went many years without buying tape measures as they once had excellent replacements, not any more. 

I hope they turn it around but I won't hold my breath.


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## David S (Jan 9, 2017)

My name is David....I worked for Black & Decker designing and manufacturing power tools starting in 1981.
As I read through this thread it is indeed with mixed emotions.  I joined B&D in 1981 as an electrical engineer / designer.  In Brockville we manufactured consumer power tools of all sorts.  We were some what vertically integrated.  At the time B&D was called the "Black & Decker manufacturing company".  Universal motor manufacturing was one of our core competencies. 

Besides being the electrical lead, I also ended up owning the vast test lab.  We tested all of our competition at the time.  Some of the names that pop to mind are Wen, Pet, Skil, Craftsman (mostly made by Singer).  Our objective was to at the very minimum meet, and mostly exceed the competition, and above all give the best consumer value.

 At one time in Brockville we were producing over 1 million consumer sanders for the global market annually.  As well as a myriad other power tools.

We also produced the very popular and versatile Workmate.  Millions were made in our plant.

I was also there when B&D bought GE small appliances.  Oh My,  Now I was making and designing toaster ovens and food processors....and everything in between.  There was a lot of consideration that went into how to transition the well known and respected GE appliance brand over to Black & Decker that made excellent value power tools but knew diddly about household kitchen appliances .

  And a some point the Company name changer from Black and Decker Manufacturing to... well Just Black and Decker,  as it transitioned into more of a marketing company.

And just before I retired in 2011 there was the Stanley merger.

I have no idea how the Stanley B&D > Craftsman deal will go.  They could milk it to the ground, or they could restore it to its former glory.

However as I sign off from this.  I can tell you that when I was on board I was empowered to give the utmost customer satisfaction.

David


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## Ironken (Jan 9, 2017)

I no longer purchase Craftsman, and I have a full Craftsman chest and roll away filled with Craftsman. Unless you buy their industrial or pro line or whatever the hell they call it......Taiwan or Chinese junk. S-K for me now.

In my opinion, their power tools are weak consumer grade junk. (I destroyed a hammer drill of theirs in one use....but at least it came with a schnazzy carrying case). DeWilt has moved some of their product manufacturing back to the States....they get my dollar. Heck, Millsucky is all Chinese or Taiwanese now......


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## 4GSR (Jan 9, 2017)

David, I've owned several B & D power tools and appliances over the years. I couldn't tell you how many Spacemaker coffee makers I owned over the years too.  Keurig took over a few years ago, no more B & D.

Back in the mid 1980's dad was doing mold repair work for a local rubber manufacture up near Conroe north of Houston.  Craftsman changed the life long designed belt sander and turned it into a piece of crap.  Anyways, the mold that was used to mold the driven roller had about fifty cavities crammed into mold with only about a 1/4" wall thickness between each cavity.  They were getting about 75% scrap from each batch run.  Dad had the job of stripping the rubber from the shafts of the roller so they could re-run the part.  The rubber company kept telling Sears, actually the sub-contractor, that the mold was screwed up and needed to be remade with the cavities spaced future apart.  Wasn't long, they pulled the business and moved it to Florida.  A few years later, the made in Taiwan stuff was starting to fill the shelves at Sears!

Edit: Dad bought a $9.99  B & D 3/8" electric drill that we used to build our house with back in 1971-1972.  It was still working when we cleaned out the family homestead in 2004!  The scrap man that was helping us clean up got it!


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## markba633csi (Jan 9, 2017)

I have an old B&D toaster oven that just goes and goes.  Probably made during David's watch- see above...
Mark S.


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## T. J. (Jan 9, 2017)

I had a Skilsaw that belonged to my grandfather. I figure it was at least 30 years old before I finally let the blue smoke out of it a couple years ago.


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## kvt (Jan 10, 2017)

I would swear that I have had tools from most of the companies out there from the old Milwaukie brands, to Black & Decker,  Skill etc.   Seems the old ones would hold up if you did a little maint every once and a while.   But the newer ones just do not hold up as well.   Same with the hand tools,  It did not matter if I was working around the house or in the dealership,   I used the same tools, and they worked or I took them back.   I had a set of old Proto that must have slipped through the cracks as they were soft and spread  when you put much torque on them   But they replaced them without a problem.  I have had some good stuff from most of the old companies and some bad stuff from them as well.   But most of the newer stuff is Cr__  and does not hold up as well.   I still go to garage sales and swap meets to find tools that I like.   also use to you had one or two grades of tools,  One was more finished and better feel, and the other was the less finished and more clunky.  but they both held up the same,   Any more I have broken even the PRO versions on stuff that I don't think the old stuff would have blinked at..     I would love to get hold of the people that stole all of my old tools,  because I wound up getting a bunch of new stuff that never has seemed to be all that good.
I will get off my horse,   but I hope this merger does something in the right directions or we are just going to keep getting worse tools.


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## Nogoingback (Jan 17, 2017)

Hopefully, when B&D takes over, they'll improve Sears Customer Service while they're at it.  I had an experience recently that suggests they need to work on it.

I own a 1/2" drive Sears torque wrench that I've had for quite a few years.  The the collar or ring that locks the handle was plastic rather than metal, (a perfect example of
bean counter driven cost saving) which resulted in a broken ring not long (but out of warranty) after I bought it.  (Lifetime warranty only applies to hand tools.)
So, I just ignored it and used it without locking my settings.

Recently I though I would  get it fixed and have it calibrated at the same time since it's never been done.  Due to it's age, I wasn't sure if they could fix it, but I
thought I'd give it a try.  So, torque wrench in hand, I trotted down to the Sears Service Center in Portland, to discover that it's gone, replaced by an auto parts store.
 I called Sears Customer Service from the car to find out what the next step would be.  After trolling through the usual menus and having a chat with the nice computer
generated voice, I got through to Human #1, who had no idea how to service the wrench.  I was transferred to another number, where I went through the same routine
until I spoke with Human #2, who also didn't know the answer.  I was then transferred to another number, where Human #3 confidently informed me that my local
Sears store could help me out.  Called the store and was transferred to the  tool department. where I was told that they had no idea how to get my wrench serviced,
but indicated that they could not help.  Suggested calling Customer Service.  So I did, again, and got through to someone else, that informed me that the tool departments
definitely could help me out.  Suggested calling a different store, which I did.  The tool department guy at the second store told me that there is no service or repair
available for tools outside the warranty period.  If it's in warranty, they replace it.  Out of warranty, they'll be happy to sell you a new one.  The fact that it's too old to
repair doesn't completely surprise me, but it took talking with 6 people to get the answer.

What are the chances I'll buy another torque wrench, 0r anything else from Sears in the future?


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## GarageGuy (Jan 17, 2017)

Sounds like a similar experience that I had.  I bought a Sears Craftsman digital torque wrench a number of years ago.  It torqued a handful of cylinder heads, but mostly lug nuts.  After about a year, the ratchet head broke internally.  It would just spin freely in either direction.  I took it to our local Sears store (where I bought it), and was informed that torque wrenches have a 90 day warranty.  They would send it in and have it repaired and re-calibrated for $150.  Since I didn't pay that much for it new, I didn't think that was a very good deal.  I licked my wounds, and walked across the street and bought a Harbor Freight 1/2" torque wrench for $19.  It has worked flawlessly for many years doing the exact same thing the Craftsman did.  BTW, the HF torque wrench does have a lifetime warranty.  That is the reason cheap tools are gaining popularity.  I paid more than 7 times as much for an American made brand name tool.  It failed to perform, and the company wouldn't stand behind it.

As I mentioned above, Stanley/B&D has an opportunity to fix this.  If they do, I will once again become a loyal customer.  Time will tell.

GG


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## Terrywerm (Jan 17, 2017)

I was always a very loyal Craftsman customer, and it began while I worked for Sears while I was in high school. I bought my first set of tools and a tool chest from them in about 1975 or 76.

About 20 years ago I stopped at a tool store next to a truck stop in Indiana and purchased two 'Michigan Industrial Tools' click style torque wrenches, one in 3/8" (inch-pounds) and one in 1/2" (foot-pounds). Granted, they are not the new digital ones, but they have worked flawlessly and have been used quite a bit. I have been pleasantly surprised by these cheap import tools.

A couple of years ago I needed an inch-ounces torque wrench for working on the wife's car. I ended up purchasing a CDI dial type for about $150, but considering the money I saved in labor costs to get the car running again, it was worth every penny. Found out afterward that CDI is who makes them for Snap-On and Proto. I bought it through McMaster-Carr for about $50 less than through Proto, and about $100 less than what Snap-On wanted for the same torque wrench.

Looking forward, I hope, like many others, that Stanley / B&D can improve things in the Craftsman line. If they can, I will consider being a more loyal customer too.


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## The Liberal Arts Garage (Jan 18, 2017)

The poor must get by on pride; the rich  man must buy someone
else's.        BLJHB.


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## wawoodman (Jan 18, 2017)

It's not just the Craftsman tools, it's the entire Sears experience that bums me out. I went in looking for a couple of pairs of slacks, a while back. Not a salespeson to be seen, and the slacks looked like they had been picked over for days, and never refolded or stacked. I asked a cashier (the only person in sight) if she could call someone to help me. Fifteen minutes later, nobody showed up, so I left. Went home, got on Amazon, and had my slacks two days later.


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## kvt (Jan 18, 2017)

Yea,  The whole Sears is full of problems,   My daughter worked for them a couple of years ago and quite after they gave her a hard time.   She was injured, and had to do something,   they would not let her work around it and basically said if she could not do what they initially hired her for injury or not she was gone.   Then come to find out the only people in the store that had been there longer than a few months was people who had been there so long they would have to pay the pension stuff to them if they left,   Which it seemed they no longer offered.   She said it was like a revolving door for personnel,   and I believe it


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## seanb (Jan 20, 2017)

Home Depot/ Lowes sell tools with a lifetime warranty not made in america but still pretty good. Its sad but things change and Sears couldn't/wouldn't adapt.


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## Skullza (Feb 1, 2017)

I still have the Craftsman socket and ratchet set my father bought for me in 1970 when I was 19. Replaced the 1/2" ratchet once around 1975 when, as a 24-year-old, learned that using the ratchet to remove frozen VW lugnuts by jumping on the tool was not the best idea  but the set has served me well. A couple of years ago, I bought a second Craftsman 1/2" ratchet to keep in another toolbox. This one is made in China. It appears it will do the job, but the tool is definitely rougher in quality - not as smooth nor comfortable to hold. I agree with those who've posted about the Sears experience in general. The stores are depressing, the merchandise shoddy. The last thing I was still buying there was filters for my Sears humidifier, but I can get them much cheaper on the Web so no reason to go to Sears anymore.


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