Yeah I’m a tool junkie. Always on the lookout for the latest and greatest. I was a big Craftsman fan up to about 5 -10 years ago when the bean counters sent production overseas. Loved the Professional Series tools they carried, have a nice collection of the ratchets, sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. But I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve gone to Harbor Freight for twenty years or so for an occasional tool. Lately I’ve noticed they’re trying to up their game, with an upgraded line of power tools, their chests and carts aren’t bad, and their top line hydraulic jacks are nice, along with other items.Yeah a lot of it is still that Far East stuff Dad warned you about, but they’re making an effort which I applaud.
I’m telling ya, if someone would sell a quality line of USA made hand tools for a reasonable price retail, like Sears use to, they would fill quite a void. First thing I look for when I pick up a wrench or screwdriver is to see where it’s made. If it’s anything other than Made In USA I put it back on the shelf and look elsewhere.
Or maybe I’m just a cranky old guy who doesn’t understand modern economics. I’ll always pay a premium for quality tools.

All my Craftsman ratchets, sockets, etc., are U.S.-made stuff. One socket failed thirty years ago, and was replaced without question.

Sears appears to be circling the drain. Do they still even sell Craftsman-branded products?

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Oh well, what the hell.

Stanley/Black and Decker bought Craftsman a while back. Lowe’s hardware now sells Craftsman.

Harbor Freight isn’t bad for cheap or rarely used tools.

We once had a complete set of a Craftsman sockets, wrenches, and ratchets at work. The youngsters lost a lot of them. Same with screw drivers, pliers, and other tools. So now I buy at Harbor Freight. Doesn’t piss me off so much when they loose those.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

The last time I broke a Craftsman ratchet handle, I went to the small Sears store near me and it was replaced with a Chinese made Craftsman.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I had the exact same Sears experience. I haven't bought much from Harbor Freight but what I have bought did the job.

The closest Sears store to me shut down last spring. I was sorry to see it go.

FWIW, my kid is in his second year of the ASE certification program at the local community college. About this time last year we started shopping for a decent medium sized tool box for him for school.

We compared the 27" base cabinet & top box set at the local Sears to the similarly sized one at Harbor Freight. The Harbor Freight was made of heavier sheet steel was slightly bigger and cost over $200 less.

Pretty much a no brainer as far as I was concerned.

Have a healthy mix of HF and good, older Sears stuff.
Figure I don't make my living with the tools. Just for my occasional needs and projects. The HF stuff has done fine for me in that role.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

I brought a Craftsman ratchet into Sears about 3 years ago that had quit working. Was expecting a replacement - nope - they said they could send it somewhere to be rebuilt.

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Dennis
SWCA #2409, SWHF #353

I have a complete set of Craftsman (Made in USA) hand tools from the old days, probably more than I need as I just repair stuff around the house. As my old power tools wear out, if I cannot borrow or do without; I look for what is on sale, as it is now all made in the same slave ship in the South China Sea.

All my tools are old time made in the USA Craftsman. Haven’t bought a Craftsman tool in a lot of years. I believe the last things I purchased through them were my Rolling mechanics chests which were well made but made in Mexico, and my Craftsman drill press. Have some Rogid,Bonney and Husky wrenches and sockets as well.
All current things I’ve currently purchased has been Crescent, Channel Lock,Vise Grip and Klein. For the most part my tool buying days are over
Harbor Freight was always the place I would go when I needed something big and wasn’t going to be used a lot. I needed a 1” drive socket set, $1200 from Snap On and I don’t think Craftsman went that big. Purchased a set from HF and I believed I paid $195. for it and it’s still has good as the day I bought it.
Use to use their stuff as throw always, use it once or twice, break or damage it and throw it away, didn’t spend a lot of money for it.
I remember when they first got started and would bring a tent sale to a local hotel for three or four days. That was like going to a gun show!
Today though I keep one tool bag of good assembled tools for my everyday repair stuff other than that the other acquired stuff is out in the garage!

i grew up learning that craftsman tools were the only way to go. i have 2 craftsman rolling cabinets full of them. i also have a few lesser brand tools that i grabbed during a sale or when i needed something quick from a store closer than a 24 mile round trip to a sears store that closed 2 years ago.
i have never bought anything from harbor freight, i've never even been in one of their stores but it doesn't mean that i won't some day in the future.

Been 'tooling' since the mid 60s',I'm 72. Graduated from high school in 64 right into the 'musclecar' era. Been wrenching on my cars since then. Much accumulation in 50 years. Many brands, Craftsman, Apex, Proto, Snap-on, HF, Stanley, S-K to name some. Where to grey ramps are now sits a HF toolbox dedicated for metric tools.

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Bought the Chain saw sharpener at HF and for the light duty I have, it works great. Think I paid around $25.

I am lucky enough to inherited my father-in-laws Craftsman tools, including a vise that's over 100 years old. Every time I use his tools I look towards the sky and say "Thank you Larry". They are all still just like new and I treat them like my guns....clean them after every use.

The quality of tools today parallels life in general...not nearly as good as the old days in many respects. I am curious to know how much equipment used in today's military has a Made in China label on it. The Oakland Bay bridge in San Francisco was built with Chinese steel AND labor....look it up and see how that is going.

Troubled welds on the Bay Bridge: How a Chinese builder’s flaws left structural doubts and cost taxpayers | The Sacramento Bee

I was given a set of Craftsman wrenches for Christmas when I was 16. Broke a screwdriver when I was about 18, took it to Sears. The guy laughed at me and said I must have been prying something with it because they never break. I truthfully told him I was trying to get a rusted screw out of my car with it when it broke. I don't think he believed me, but he gave me a new one. That's the only failure I've had with a Craftsman tool in about 40 years. Of course, these are the old USA made ones.

Now if I could only find my 3/8 drive Craftsman ratchet. I know my son used it last, and only the Good Lord knows where he left it. I have an old S-K that's nearly as old. It still works perfectly, too. I've worn out several cheap ones over the years, though.

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Or something like that . . .

I use tools every day. I will not buy anything that is made in Asia.
Where I live you can buy all the USA made industrial grade tools
you want at yard sales and flea markets. I buy tool boxes full of
tools for $5 or $10, just to get what I want out of them. The cheap stuff I give away. It's the aftermath of all the plants, mills
and mines that were shut down in this area. If shipping wasn't so expensive a guy could make a good living buying and selling tools
in this area. I bought a like new 1" rachet for $3, because they
couldn't get $5 out of it. I got to quit buying tools it's addictive just like guns.
Power tools I quit Sears a long time ago. Now I buy Dewalt just
because I've had good luck with them. Also in batterie tools to
keep all the same batteries. The one exception was that I bought
a Kobalt sliding miter saw recently because it was on sale. A lot
of the major branded tools are no better than dollar store stuff.
Sure they will replace it but you have overpaid for the name.

I gave up on Craftsman products in the 80s. I bought a new Craftsman bench sander that failed three days after I bought it, and they wouldn't replace it - but recommended I leave it with their repair shop. The sandpaper was still clean. Made in China. They eventually replaced it after I had a classic meltdown in the tool department. Pawn shops still have a lot of old Craftsman hand tools that are worth the money.

You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

Harbor upping their game?
Looks like the same old **** to me!
I will buy a few things there,
But not many!
Since I have about 3 times the tools I actually need, don’t buy much of that stuff anywhere.
Last thing I bought at Sears?
Air Compressor.
The first thing bought bought there for me was probably underwear.
Started with drawers and ended with air.
Such is life!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I was BLESSED to inherent all my Dad's Craftsman hand tools.

He had a hobby of going to Sears on Friday nights and purchasing their tools when they were on sale.

I remember those Friday nights because as a kid I would tag along and shop the LP records and hunting stuff.

After he passed I made the trip down to load up his tools and bring them to my house. I was amazed, when I started going through all the cabinets, to find a boat load of new tools still in original packaging.

My loaded truck was squatting a little because of all the weight. After I sorted them out, I made myself a complete set that fills my tall roll around box. I made two more sets, one for each of my sons AND a complete spare set.

These are all American made from the sixties. He also utilized small Craftsman tool boxes so he could be mobile. It funny, but he also kept a cheap set of tools for loaning to neighbors and for the farm hands to use. I have them too.

My youngest son uses his set often. The older son probably never will even open his box. I want to donate the spare set to a promising student at a tech school one day.

I kept all the metric tools as he had very little of them.

Times have changed.

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Death? Smile back...

The Chinese will built to whatever quality the seller wishes. They can turn out a decent tool but usually the sellers don't want much.
I have some Harbor freight stuff but the majority is Proto, Snap on or Craftsman.

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Front sight and squeeze

My son has a tool box in the trunk of his car with basic tools in case of an emergency. I noticed that he could use a small crescent wrench. So I went to a store to buy one. There were two crescent wrenches there. One was made in China, and one was made in the US. If I bought the one that was made in China, I would put money into the pocket of an importer. If I paid a little more, I could buy the US made wrench. In a small way, I could help an American worker have a job and have a nice Thanksgiving with his family. I bought the US wrench.

Tried some of the early HF sockets (~2002-3) and the steel quality was really lousy...didn't last even one hard use.
Got a new set of HF impact sockets ~2 years ago along with some 3/8" stub drives and they are holding up very well. Seems the HF steel quality/hardening has improved. They are cheap enough I don't worry about beating on them with mallets, which I would seriously try not to do on my older Craftsman, Snap-on or SK stuff.

I buy from HF when I need a one of one time tool. I am however looking at tool boxes as I can't find what I want on Craigs list. My tools are all Snap on or Mac.

The trouble with HF is it's hit-and-miss. I've had power tools last ten years and more, and some that die in a week. It's a gamble.

The Kobalt brand tools I've bought from Lowes seem to be good, for Chinese hand tools.

When I moved to a retirement place my grandson and great grandson got a load of Craftsman USA tools. They were fortunate. It took me years to
accumulate them.

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Mighty 90's,Trying 4 a 100!

I buy a fair amount of HF stuff. I don't use the stuff professionally but I still manage to break some of their stuff.

Some of the air tools are junk. I bought one of their air stable/brad drivers and after one larger (for me) job I can tell it's nearing the end. But I paid hardly anything for it. I definitely got my 15 bucks or whatever it was out of it. Their air sheetmetal saw is junk. The drill was OK once I took it apart and removed scrap metal inside.

The electric 4" grinder has also served well for the money but it gets hot and has to be allowed to cool or it would fry for sure. Bought a 12" sliding compound miter. The price was right but I took it back. No consistency on cut angles. For very rough framing it's probably fine. I ponied up for a Dewalt.

I think their battery operated stuff is junk.

I bought one of their bench mounted chain saw sharpeners several years ago. As I've found typical with some HF stuff I had to alte/fixr it to make it work correctly but it's been great since. I just used it again yesterday. It's probably not the best sharpening job but it does a serviceable job quickly. It doesn't have a provision for adjusting the depth gauges so you'll still have to do that by hand when needed.

A lot of their stuff still seems like one time use stuff which is, I guess, OK if priced accordingly and you'll probably only need it once.

There's probably a joke there but I'm afraid I'd get in trouble for it.

When it comes to hand tools like wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, pliers,etc, it’s USA made for me or I won’t buy. Problem is it’s getting harder to find locally and usually end up having to order online. That doesn’t work when I need something right away on a Sunday afternoon, so it’s off to Ace, Menards, or Harbor Freight for that need it now tool. Use to be Sears, but I can’t remeber the last time I was in one. I wonder if the bean counters realized how many guys would go to Sears to look at tools, and maybe also pick up a shirt or pair of boots. Now there’s absolutely no reason for me to darken their doorway any more.
I’ve bought a lot of those plastic ammo boxes at Harbor Freight, along with boxes and boxes of their nitrile gloves. Their new line of Apache cases are pretty nice for the price and their new Braun line of portable lighting isn’t bad either. The only “power “ tool I’ve purchased is the dual rock tumbler for cleaning cases and so far so good with that. I’ve noticed their new Hercules line of power tools are more upscale than the use it once and throw it away stuff they had in the past, but I’m still a Dewalt guy.

I've never bought a tool there but have bought gloves and other "supplies" at HF. I guess that if I needed a tool for a specific job and didn't think I would use it very often I might get it there.

However, I look at a lot lot of tool reviews on YouTube and I've got a few sites that I trust that aren't shills for a manufacturer. In the last few months some of them have run sophisticated stress tests comparing HF wrenches, breaker bars etc. to Snap-on, Proto, Matco and others and the HF have not done too badly.

The tests i've seen on their power tools have not gone so well.

Stanley bought the Craftsman name. Even before that Sears sold China made tools/saws etc.

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S&W Accumulator

I shop those places too. Amazing what you can find for give away prices. You might also want to look at the Good Will - type stores. Sometimes they have vintage made-in-the-US hand tools priced at $2 or $3. Go to a big box hardware store and the cheap Chinese junk version of the same thing is > $10.

I found a Crescent wrench at a yard sale. The jaws were stuck in one position, the thumb adjustment was rusted solid. So I got it for a quarter. Took it home, soaked it in oil for a while and now it works fine. It won't win any beauty contests but then neither will I.

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You're shy a few manners.

I always buy and use quality tools. Not the most expensive but good. Unless I plan on using the tool once or twice a year. Then I buy HB FRT

My wife was skilled trades for GM and had a large Snap on Box full of tools needed for her job. Today she took some of the tools she felt we needed for around the house. No socket sets were kept nothing I would consider worth while was kept. I know I watched SIL drive away with several thousand dollars worth of stuff. Oh the stuff she kept is piled on garage floor. I am livid and will now buy me a tool box to keep our stuff in. Did I mention this is the second box and tools she gave away.

A while back I needed a pipe wrench.
I thought I had one but if I did I couldn’t find it.
So I bought one at HF.
It worked fine for the one time I needed it.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

^^^ This. If you want cheap junk made, where do ya go?

OTOH the Centech measuring tools are just fine for my needs. The other techs were always borrowing my calipers when somebody left the company's Mitutoyo on & killed the batteries.

About 18 years ago when my local Sears store required the ORIGINAL receipt for the replacement of broken Craftsman tools, I stopped buying Sears products!

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Bill

I picked up a battered looking toolbox at a garage sale last year. I appeared to be full of sockets, ratchets, etc. It was only a couple of bucks, so, why not?
Turned out to be mostly Craftsman from the 1930's. (Back then they contracted out batches to different manufactures and the tools were coded as to just who actually made them.)


They're all pretty ratty but still work just fine. (A wire wheel does wonders....)

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

The Lion's Share of my Hand Tools were purchased a while ago (made in USA) and are made up of a combination of Snap-on, Craftsman, Mac, Proto, Williams, Crescent, Channel Lock, Klein, Rigid and I purchased a Tekton 1/2" drive Torque Wrench just recently.

My corded Power Tools are Milwaukee, Porter Cable, DeWalt, Craftsman and one Makita thrown in.

Air tools are an assortment of Snap-on, Mac, Ingersol Rand, Chicago Pneumatic, and a few I can't recall without looking.

While I am not judging...... I stay out of Harbor Freight. From what I hear their quality has been improved lately, but after using a few friends HF tools while helping them out at their homes, I was not impressed and have no interest in them. Like I said, maybe the current crop of HF tools are better, but what I've personally used and seen - I'm not a fan. I sort of view HF tools as a one trick pony and not something that will last for the long haul. The one exception I've seen lately are some of their hand tools produced by Taiwan (not China) like their impact sockets. I had to use a very very large metric impact socket and did not have the size I needed. I borrowed a Buddy's set and I was actually kind of surprised at the quality. I think that's something recent though....

I've bought some of my tools from pawn shops. They're usually cheap dollar wise.

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Thread Killer.

Lowe's sells Craftsman now. But Craftsman ain't what it used to be.

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'Merica!

I buy a few things from HF. I paid about $15 for a nice pair of electronic ear muffs. They work fine but are a bit big for rifle work.

I also bought one of these extendible chainsaw trimmers. Had to fix the chain oiler, but that thing would cut down a forest if you had enough extension cord. I've cut down 12" palms with its 8" blade--no problem.

Can you still take a broken tool in and get a replacement on the spot? I have a ratchet or two that are busted.

Sears may still warranty Craftsman tools. I exchanged a couple of ratchets earlier this year - March or April IIRC....

Most if not all of my tools are from Sears,some proto, Armstrong and a few others. Most of my cordrd power tools like sanders,drills, saws router are from Sears, skilsaw, milwaukee, porter-cable and riobi plus a few others. Only have a couple battery powered tools from DeWalt and another brand. Was drilling holes with the "Other Brand" and after awhile the teeth weren't gripping the drill bits. Whipped out my DeWalt battery drill 45 min recharge and back to drilling holes. Turns out whatever heat treatment was given to the chuck jaws was pitiful they were all worn round. Recently bought a corded DeWalt circular saw couldn't find the old one. Right on the box it says "made in America from global materials" wonder where those global materials come from?. My old ratchet sets were missing many sockets over the years. Rather than replace all the missing sockets I bought the biggest inch/metric socket set they had.No more running back and forth between the garage and the carport which are on the opposite ends of the house. Frank

Ace hardware sells it now too.

Light duty hand tools and replacement oscillator blades are pretty much all I get from HF, cheapo gloves and tarps, and the ammo boxes when on sale. Free batteries with purchase helps, but I only use those in low demand, low importance places, they are not like Duracell or Energizer. And I get the 4-way screwdrivers, I consider them dispensables like utility knife blades.
Socket sets and ratchets I wouldn't trust using theirs, I'm too hard on mine.
I bought ONE electric power tool years ago. A close quarter drill, when my old Black and Decker one finally bit the dust. Not a tool I use often, but need it when I need it.
I used it once, put it in a plastic case that used to hold the B&D. Went to use it again a month or 3 later and it wouldn't even make a groaning or humming sound when I pulled the trigger. As it was more than 30 days, they wouldn't replace it or refund my money.
When a buddy contractor also had a problem with a cordless from their line, I decided their power tool brands would no longer get my money.
Most of my power tools are 25 or more years old. Craftsman, B&D, Milwaukee, Skil, Porter Cable.
I have some early Makita, Panasonic (yup, they made tools back in the day), and for the real oldtimers, Delta and Rockwell. Any of you remember a brand called "Home-Duty"?
A LOT of my plug in tools are from the age of metal casing, and a fair amount even have the old style metal brand labels RIVETED ON.
Aside from having to replace brushes, most of these tools just won't quit. Unfortunately, a few (5 or 6) have had to be relegated to the repair hopeful pile, due to switches or triggers that have worn out and aren't available thru the manufacturers sites (discontinued, no parts available). Sometimes I find these parts in odds and ends places, or online, or in yard sales and stuff, so I hang onto them.
Using these fossils sometimes means I don't get the newer features, like tool-less blade changes and such, but,,,,,,,,,not worth giving up the reliability to save 75 seconds.
I've been a tool user for 55-plus years, and using them professionally for about 43. So I've had a little hands on learning.

I was a tried & true Craftsman guy, like my dad before me. My affair ended when Craftsman went off-shore. Same same Lowes/Kobalt. When they went 100% China, they sold off all their USA made tools for half price. Bought a bunch of it, (which I really didn't need). Since then, I've found Tekton to be pretty decent. They're made here in Michigan, but can be kind of hard to find anywhere but on line. As for off-shore, Toptul out of Taiwan is pretty good stuff. I've gotten several of their products over the years and have been more than satisfied, quality and price wise.

got one also with one year warranty, take it back every year after i rip out the cord and get a new one no questions asked.

craftsman was never top notch, only chevrolet average.snap-on and matco were always much higher quality.HF is now as good as anything out there except snap-on, matco etc. this last HF air compressor i bought is head and shoulders above the last craftsman compressor i had. got a new HF mig welder, the old Lincoln now sits out on the scrap copper pile.