# Craftsman Tools Might Be Made in USA Great Again



## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

> _Stanley Black & Decker will be localizing as much manufacturing as possible, consistent with our operating model of manufacturing as close to our customers as possible. *Stanley Black & Decker will focus on U.S. manufacturing*, using global materials, with the confidence that this will grow the Craftsman brand._
> 
> _*We are committed to bringing Craftsman’s manufacturing back to the United States*, using materials from around the world, so you can take pride in knowing that Craftsman products sold by Stanley Black & Decker will once again be Made in the USA with global materials._


http://toolguyd.com/stanley-black-decker-pledges-to-bring-craftsman-tool-production-back-to-usa/


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## Corysan (Jan 20, 2017)

"...with global materials." The real manufacturing, such as casting, forging, etc, is still done by barefoot Chinese then?


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

I have never been disappointed with Craftsman mechanics hand tools but then again I haven't bought any of them in many years.


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

Who is the distributer now? Can you still get Craftsman at Sears, Kmart, and Ace? I'd love to trade in some of my worn out chinese junk when the american stuff starts hitting the shelves. I got tired of going back to the store for 1/4 drive wratchets!


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

matt1124 said:


> Who is the distributer now? Can you still get Craftsman at Sears, Kmart, and Ace? I'd love to trade in some of my worn out chinese junk when the american stuff starts hitting the shelves. I got tired of going back to the store for 1/4 drive wratchets!


Wow, I've never really broken many of their sockets and never one of their ratchets. I still have some of their socket sets from the late 1960s. I've broken a boat load of Snap-On sockets.


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Wow, I've never really broken many of their sockets and never one of their ratchets. I still have some of their socket sets from the late 1960s. I've broken a boat load of Snap-On sockets.


I can only remember once breaking a socket. My 1/4" wratchet, when turned back and forth rapidly, would click both directions as the selector would work to the middle position more times than not. Traded it out and it was fine for a while, then the new one would do it. 

I used to be a big craftsman fan. My first set of tools was a mechanics set I saved and saved for, working at a grocery store in highschool. It was a black friday special I finally could afford and I was so proud of it. I was 16 and I had a truck I was always working on, and dad had just a random assortment of wrenches that were not the right size but had 4 of them. That started my love of tools and having the right tool for the job. 

Their products had the backing but were not total crap like the import store's lifetime warranty. Any time I needed anything I went to Sears first.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

matt1124 said:


> I can only remember once breaking a socket. My 1/4" wratchet, when turned back and forth rapidly, would click both directions as the selector would work to the middle position more times than not. Traded it out and it was fine for a while, then the new one would do it.
> 
> I used to be a big craftsman fan. My first set of tools was a mechanics set I saved and saved for, working at a grocery store in highschool. It was a black friday special I finally could afford and I was so proud of it. I was 16 and I had a truck I was always working on, and dad had just a random assortment of wrenches that were not the right size but had 4 of them. That started my love of tools and having the right tool for the job.
> 
> Their products had the backing but were not total crap like the import store's lifetime warranty. Any time I needed anything I went to Sears first.


I started building a 'mechanics set' at a young age. Wrenches, ratchets, and sockets I always got from Sears. I still have most all of them.

I have from 1/4" drive up to 3/4" drive from them.


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## mdnitedrftr (Aug 21, 2013)

MechanicalDVR said:


> I have never been disappointed with Craftsman mechanics hand tools but then again I haven't bought any of them in many years.


All my wrenches are Craftsman, and I've never had a problem with them....other than the 1/4 ratchets, but thats cause I use them wayyyyyyy beyond their means. :laughing:


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## Corysan (Jan 20, 2017)

I have a real US made Stanley 3/8" drive socket set that came in a metal box from when I was an apprentice. I use that thing every day and it has been great. The only problems I have had is when I have dropped it in soupy mud (why does that ALWAYS happen?). Just open it up and give it a little WD-40 and presto, back in business. I have the same ratchet with a Craftsman logo. Great to have a back up for the hellish day when I lose my Stanley. older craftsman stuff is great. I used to love the black Professional screwdrivers for construction work.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

A lot of the Craftsman is already "made in USA from global materials" as they say. The problem is, does that just mean they are made in china and gluing on the handles here? I was a big fan of the old really-made-in-USA tools but I am not jumping on unless they are really made in USA and from high quality materials. 

This is a question a lot of people are asking about a lot of tools. I have seen some smaller manufacturers respond by putting up youtube videos of their US plants showing just what's done in the US. I would be more likely to buy Craftsman tools if they put up something like this so I can see how made in USA they really are. 

If it's just marketing BS, gluing on handles in the USA, I'd just as soon buy made in china garbage and save the money, not paying for Craftsman nostalgia, and not be a rube for their marketing BS, or pay a little more and buy something of high quality that's made in USA, Canada, Germany, UK, Japan, South Korea, etc., countries with a history of quality control, environmental controls, decent working conditions, etc. 

BTW, Dewalt is doing the same thing, they ought to put up something too, that clarifies how "built in USA" their tools really are.


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

splatz said:


> A lot of the Craftsman is already "made in USA from global materials" as they say. The problem is, does that just mean they are made in china and gluing on the handles here? I was a big fan of the old really-made-in-USA tools but I am not jumping on unless they are really made in USA and from high quality materials.
> 
> This is a question a lot of people are asking about a lot of tools. I have seen some smaller manufacturers respond by putting up youtube videos of their US plants showing just what's done in the US. I would be more likely to buy Craftsman tools if they put up something like this so I can see how made in USA they really are.
> 
> ...


Noticed yesterday Milwaukee sawzall blades are the same story. Made in USA from global material. It's a single piece of metal with teeth cut out, painted. Made from some sheet steel from melted down cars, pallet racks, soda cans, etc shipped here on a slow boat.

You are right, a lot is BS. Handles are glued on in the US by a crew of lazy american workers in a small town the factory keeps alive where everyone has worked for generations. Lennox HVAC is this way, their factories are in parts of the US where the general populace is lazy. It shows when units show up poorly assembled, missing parts, and with loose wires. Strangely enough, sometimes you just get a little better quality when the production floor has armed watchmen and there's a line of people itching to take your job. Look at Apple, their stuff comes from China, I think the actual build quality of it is great.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Corysan said:


> I have a real US made Stanley 3/8" drive socket set that came in a metal box from when I was an apprentice. I use that thing every day and it has been great. The only problems I have had is when I have dropped it in soupy mud (why does that ALWAYS happen?). Just open it up and give it a little WD-40 and presto, back in business. I have the same ratchet with a Craftsman logo. Great to have a back up for the hellish day when I lose my Stanley. older craftsman stuff is great. I used to love the black Professional screwdrivers for construction work.


What year is the socket set from?


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

SK ratchets are still nice.


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## Corysan (Jan 20, 2017)

> [What year is the socket set from?/QUOTE]
> 
> 1999, I think. I'm pretty sure they were made about three miles from my house. They made loads of Craftsman and Snap-on and almost every other brand of mechanic's tool there. If you have the old style Kastar type ratchet wrench, that's them. They made those for just about everybody because it was their patent. They use a Local IBEW EC. Will the "global" suppliers for Craftsman do that? Below a link for a similar ratchet on Ebay.
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/CRAFTSMAN-TOOLS-1-4-DRIVE-RATCHET-SOCKET-WRENCH-THUMB-WHEEL-43795-943795/201848096026?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140602152332%26meid%3D635a38dca83e4c109a2cd7b862e7c3a7%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D291460770636


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

TGGT said:


> SK ratchets are still nice.


They are a quality product and hold up very well and I have never broken one of their sockets.

The only issue with them is the 'toothing', they are rather medium toothed and that takes more handle movement to turn the socket.

Craftsman has always had a fine tooth movement requiring very little handle movement to turn the socket.

I have a Klein 1/4"dr set made by SK that is close to 27 years old and going strong.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Corysan said:


> > [What year is the socket set from?/QUOTE]
> >
> > 1999, I think. I'm pretty sure they were made about three miles from my house. They made loads of Craftsman and Snap-on and almost every other brand of mechanic's tool there. If you have the old style Kastar type ratchet wrench, that's them. They made those for just about everybody because it was their patent. They use a Local IBEW EC. Will the "global" suppliers for Craftsman do that? Below a link for a similar ratchet on Ebay.
> 
> ...


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

MechanicalDVR said:


> They are a quality product and hold up very well and I have never broken one of their sockets.
> 
> The only issue with them is the 'toothing', they are rather medium toothed and that takes more handle movement to turn the socket.
> 
> ...


I have 72 tooth style, and it's only recently given me problems after about 5 hard years of use between work and the garage. I think a little loctite would fix it. The screw holding everything together backs out and the mechanism inside stops working.










I see it's called "Palm Control", no idea what that means, but that little black hex screw just needs to stay put. Otherwise I don't believe it has ever, ever slipped.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

TGGT said:


> I have 72 tooth style, and it's only recently given me problems after about 5 hard years of use between work and the garage. I think a little loctite would fix it. The screw holding everything together backs out and the mechanism inside stops working.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Palm control because of the wheel that switches direct rather than a raised bar.

All good stuff.


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## heavysparky (Jun 2, 2009)

I like craftsman. I hope they can revive the brand. I have a lot of their tools. I will go to pawnshops and look for the older cman stuff. I can generaly grab sockets and wrenches for less than $1.00


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

My Snap-On stuff always worked perfectly - until it was stolen.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

telsa said:


> My Snap-On stuff always worked perfectly - until it was stolen.


At their prices I hope you were well insured.


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

MechanicalDVR said:


> At their prices I hope you were well insured.


Renters insurance is supposed to cover theft anytime anywhere I believe.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

TGGT said:


> Renters insurance is supposed to cover theft anytime anywhere I believe.


I've lucked out with my homeowner's insurance a time or two.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

My first set of sockets (about 35 years ago) were Wrights. I still have most of the sockets but lost the ratchet on a job somewhere....

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