primitive's worried

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028436714

Oh my.

It doesn't seem to be attracting a whole lot of primitive interest, though.

0 replies, 72 views

pstokely (8,500 posts)   Fri Jan 6, 2017, 06:27 AM

Craftsman Tool Lovers Worried For Brand After $900M Sale To Black & Decker
 
https://consumerist.com/2017/01/05/craftsman-tool-lovers-worried-for-brand-after-900m-sale-to-black-decker/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

"Consumerist reader Victor says he is disappointed to see what was once a “trusted, reliable, and well made brand” be reduced to a disposable asset.

“It was obvious by 2004 the brand was no longer what it once was, but over time it continued to decline in subtle ways,” he says, noting that he hopes Black & Decker can revive the brand.

Others told us that while they are fans of Craftsman, they also use Black & Decker products, and they aren’t too worried about the change.

“If they had to find a new home for Craftsman, I think this might be a good one,” says Jacob, one of the more optimistic Craftsman users. “My understanding is that the overall quality of Craftsman products has decreased recently so perhaps that is a trend that can reverse.”

Oh, I dunno.  Black & Decker's always rocked.

But when it comes to quality, nothing beats S/K-Dresser Industries, even though Sears Craftsman had the effrontery to think they could.

[fatboy]

It is my understanding that craftsmen mechanics hand tools, wrenches and sockets were actually made in the same factory as Snap-On. Of course the (Craftsmen non-pro) final product wasn't given the spit and polish as Snap-On. I have some of my Dads Craftsmen wrenches (70-80 years old) that are identical as what is sold today except they added safety warnings etched in steel.

I really love my Craftsmen mechanics tools and have a ton of them although I'm not a professional mechanic. I appreciate quality tools but some of the Asian tools are not too bad theses days. I prefer to buy American but that is not always possible, I don't mind paying more for good tools.

B&D and for that matter Skil has been for decades consumer grade tools, some Stanly handtools are not bad,  B&D also owns Porter Cable which are good so Craftsmen may be ok for the future, I hope so. I'm actually surprised Sears has lasted this long.

[SVPete]

The main usages for the Sears nearest us is less used parking area and a "foyer" for entering the mall. We haven't bought anything there in a couple of years - people who hate their jobs - and the store looks like a slightly less messy Kmart.

[jb2u11]

A small Sears opened near here a few years ago,  I haven't been in there yet though.  Suppose I should do that one of these days.

[thundley4]

The main usages for the Sears nearest us is less used parking area and a "foyer" for entering the mall. We haven't bought anything there in a couple of years - people who hate their jobs - and the store looks like a slightly less messy Kmart.

I think malls are whats killing so many of the old time stores like Sears, J C Penney and others.

Sears in particular use to be a destinatination store, they carried almost everything but food and people would shop the whole store.

Throw them in a mall where there's a variety of stores to shop and the only thing Sear's sold that other shops didn't was tools and lawn and garden equipment. I don't know about other places, but here there are two huge home improvement stores not far from the mall that offers more tools and more lawn and garden equipment at lower prices.

[SVPete]

A small Sears opened near here a few years ago,  I haven't been in there yet though.  Suppose I should do that one of these days.

They might have some good discounts at their "Going Out of Business" sale. Sears, Kmart, and J. C. Penney's are probably doomed.

From what I've heard, Kohl's and Target didn't have the best Christmas season last year, either (Walmart probably didn't either).

[JakeStyle]

More good news

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/01/05/stanley-black-decker-sears-holdings-craftsman-donald-trump/96192526/

One of the nation's best-known toolmakers, Stanley Black & Decker, said Thursday that it will move more manufacturing back to the U.S. from overseas, including construction of a new $35 million factory after acquiring the Craftsman brand from ailing retailer Sears Holdings.

Expanding American manufacturing makes "business sense" amid "pervasive" uncertainty regarding the future of U.S. trade with China and Mexico, Stanley Black & Decker CEO James Loree told investors Thursday in a conference call.

Although he did not mention Donald Trump by name in his remarks to investors, Loree hinted that the move has the side benefit of inoculating his company from the possible effects of the president-elect's threatened "border tax," a tariff on imports.

"It’s going to be advisable to have more manufacturing in the U.S.," Loree said.

[98ZJUSMC]

Oh, I dunno.  Black & Decker's always rocked.

They used to be among the best power tools around.  They got kinda el-cheapo in the late 80's-90's.  Their Quantum-Pro line, though, was very good.  My Recip Saw is a B&D Quantum-Pro.  It's a DeWalt colored green.  Has preformed, flawlessly, for almost 20 years.

But when it comes to quality, nothing beats S/K-Dresser Industries, even though Sears Craftsman had the effrontery to think they could.

.....and boy, do they get the $$$$$$'s for them.

[98ZJUSMC]

The main usages for the Sears nearest us is less used parking area and a "foyer" for entering the mall. We haven't bought anything there in a couple of years - people who hate their jobs - and the store looks like a slightly less messy Kmart.

That's the way I used it.  I only shopped Sears for tools.

[landofconfusion80]

I was talking with a sears rep years ago and he said you could pinpoint the beginning of the end when they came out with "the softer side of sears" they spread themselves much too thin and didn't focus on their core strengths. Sears used to be the amazon of the early 20th century with their mail order business. They should have adapted to online ordering better than they have.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[ExGeeEye]

I thought Sears was headed downhill when they eliminated their catalog division.  Way to cut off all your client base that lives closer to a Walmart than to a Sears!  (Also, I was in Germany with the Army and all a sudden if it didn't come from the PX or its catalog division it wasn't happening.)

[jb2u11]

Sears has been in decline since the 70s, it's a shame as they were once a powerhouse.  Years ago you could buy just about anything out of the catalog, houses, farm machinery, airplanes, guns........then they started to switch to brick and mortar and have been losing market share ever since.

[dixierose]

I thought Sears was headed downhill when they eliminated their catalog division.  Way to cut off all your client base that lives closer to a Walmart than to a Sears!  (Also, I was in Germany with the Army and all a sudden if it didn't come from the PX or its catalog division it wasn't happening.)

I always looked forward to the Sears Christmas catalog every year when I was a kid.

[ThisIsntSparta]

I think malls are whats killing so many of the old time stores like Sears, J C Penney and others.

Sears in particular use to be a destinatination store, they carried almost everything but food and people would shop the whole store.

Throw them in a mall where there's a variety of stores to shop and the only thing Sear's sold that other shops didn't was tools and lawn and garden equipment. I don't know about other places, but here there are two huge home improvement stores not far from the mall that offers more tools and more lawn and garden equipment at lower prices.

Malls are not what is killing these stores, online sales are taking a big bite out of traditional stores.   Look at Macy's, closing stores, but investing more into online sales capabilities.   Discount stores such as Wal-Mart have also taken a lot of customers out of stores like Sears and Penneys.   i had the misfortune of having to go to a mall a few days before the recent Christmas, and found I had no real difficulty parking or finding someone to pick up my order from, whereas 10 years ago, it would have had me pull my hair out.

My household is very much an online shopping household.  We buy groceries and clothing at stores still, but almost everything else is delivered to our door.

[thundley4]

Malls are not what is killing these stores, online sales are taking a big bite out of traditional stores.   Look at Macy's, closing stores, but investing more into online sales capabilities.   Discount stores such as Wal-Mart have also taken a lot of customers out of stores like Sears and Penneys.   i had the misfortune of having to go to a mall a few days before the recent Christmas, and found I had no real difficulty parking or finding someone to pick up my order from, whereas 10 years ago, it would have had me pull my hair out.

My household is very much an online shopping household.  We buy groceries and clothing at stores still, but almost everything else is delivered to our door.

Malls helped in their decline just by having so many varied stores to compete with. Walmart may see their sales dip now and then, but they are for the most part, still opening new stores while other brick and mortar stores are closing them.

[SVPete]

Malls are not what is killing these stores, online sales are taking a big bite out of traditional stores.   Look at Macy's, closing stores, but investing more into online sales capabilities.   Discount stores such as Wal-Mart have also taken a lot of customers out of stores like Sears and Penneys.   i had the misfortune of having to go to a mall a few days before the recent Christmas, and found I had no real difficulty parking or finding someone to pick up my order from, whereas 10 years ago, it would have had me pull my hair out.

My household is very much an online shopping household.  We buy groceries and clothing at stores still, but almost everything else is delivered to our door.

True. One nearly dead mall near us - a victim of over-building and demographic change - was anchored by Sears, Macy's and JCP. I won't go chicken-egg on the situation, but I don't think S-JCP helped the mall the past couple of decades, and I don't think the mall helped the stores. Another mall near us is anchored by Target, Macy's, a multiplex theater w/food court, Old Navy, and Sears. Only the Sears is dying. A third mall is anchored by Macy's, Old Navy, and Nordstrom. The latter two malls are doing well.

I don't think department stores are killing malls nor the reverse. Retail is tough, generally, with online complicating the picture. Ward, Sears, Kmart, and JCP lost their way, and never found it again. Macy's had a close call, but I think they've recovered.

[jukin]

Craftsman hand tools were and always have been made here in the USA. In the 90s they made all the power cord tools here but the battery tools in China. The battery tools from China were shit. that hurt the brand but helped China build factories. Right now, i do not know of a power tool company that does not buy their tools from China. The only difference being the color of the plastic outsides.

I have lots of hand tools by Craftsman and have only brought two back, both 1/2 inch ratchets. I was quickly given a new one and on my way. I still have some old made in USA power corded tools (sanders, circular saws, jig saw, drills, and a router all with the orange industrial label) that continue to work great and are 30+ years old. I have none of the battery tools that I have bought from them. Hitachi is my prefered brand there but the last few have been from China not Japan so we shall see.

[FunkyZero]

Craftsman hand tools were and always have been made here in the USA. In the 90s they made all the power cord tools here but the battery tools in China. The battery tools from China were shit. that hurt the brand but helped China build factories. Right now, i do not know of a power tool company that does not buy their tools from China. The only difference being the color of the plastic outsides.

I have lots of hand tools by Craftsman and have only brought two back, both 1/2 inch ratchets. I was quickly given a new one and on my way. I still have some old made in USA power corded tools (sanders, circular saws, jig saw, drills, and a router all with the orange industrial label) that continue to work great and are 30+ years old. I have none of the battery tools that I have bought from them. Hitachi is my prefered brand there but the last few have been from China not Japan so we shall see.

I always bought them too, until the torque wrench incident of 2010.
I paid 200 bucks for a digital torque wrench. Used it once right away on something really light. Then about 6 months or so later I got it out for something else and the ratchet gears stripped out of it when it hit about 50ftlb. Took it back and guess what? 90 day warranty, sorry about your luck.
Now I just buy cheap throw-away harbor freight crap. they won't get me again.