Fewer craftsman tools made in us as of 6/13?

Nobody likes Chinese made garbage. Or American made garbage.

The problem is more complicated than is often presented. By mere virtue of being made in China doesn't make a widget lousy. It's a case of garbage in, garbage out. The Chinese ability to create high quality components is very real. The problem is that some cost-cutter took over from engineers and sends the cheapest possible plans and materials lists and that's exactly what Chinese factories will produce. They would also produce a perfect Rolex if they were so directed with the right tooling, training, and materials. Just look at the IT infrastructure of the planet. Designed here, but produced to exact specs in Guangdong Province. All of it comes down to cost cutting and a smooth, gradual acceptance of slave labor, which is my real complaint.

Apple boasts that their Foxconn assembly plant only had seven suicides last year. But nobody complains that their iMacs are cheap Chinese trash (unless you work in IT). And they're expensive.

Somehow cost became the only part of the equation that mattered to anyone, feverishly competing to make the lousiest possible product. It's a reverse Cold War where all major economic parties are in a race to the bottom. This is both true at Sears and among the American public. It's self-evident that nearly all of these Chinese made tools we always see are are trashy. But they wouldn't be if we didn't all file into HF with enough regularity until Craftsman and others soon followed suit in order to compete with the lowest common denominator.

I have no sympathy for people who constantly ***** about inferior tools yet still have a garage full of HF merchandise, but I can understand why if they couldn't find anything better.

The real problem here is that people like we gearheads now have few, if any, middle options. Craftsman was great because it occupied that venerable middle ground of good quality and great on-the-spot warranty for reasonable prices. There was a time where you gave Craftsman tools as a serious gift. So the option has now become HF or ultra expensive Mac or Snap-On? If someone knows a good replacement then let's find out about it, and vote with our wallets. And, you know, preferably without slave labor.

-marcus