Sears selling Craftsman brand to Black and Decker
i just noticed about a month ago that the local sears had packed up and left town
instead, a harbor freight had set up shop in the same building
same quality tools, but better price if you ask me
(of course, i dont think im old enough to remember when sears tools were made in the US of A)
It wasn't that long ago that Sears relented and started making some CRAFTSMAN brand tools outside the U.S., SEARS brand tools were always less $ and more often made
somewhere else. I still have My Grandfathers 1/2-9/16 & 9/16-5/8 double box end Craftsman wrenches in My box at work, don't get to use them there as much these(metric)
days, but still good and compact. Crescent brand turned to outside sourcing their product maybe 7yrs. ago or so, just broke My 12" adj. USA made w/a little help from a pipe:BangHead:
& now the replacement is twice as thick to make up for steel that's half the quality. I also have taiwan wrenches purchased in the early '80's that are still in My box from HF when
they sent you a little paper pamphlet in the mail, and I've put a jag on them a bunch, esp the 2 most common tie-rod locknut sizes for years(22&21mm). There are professional
grade brands made there,Genius brand is a pretty decent quality line of tools taiwan made. Now we have Gearwrench etc., there are plenty of U.S.A. made tools being made, but
you pony-up, or buy foreign. Channel-lock is still being made here in PA, and anytime I need pliers that they mfr., I buy theirs. I doubt Craftsman is going anywhere, and I still
pick something up there now & then, but I have most of what I need as a pro, so most of what I buy are "new" things I need. Triple-square,tamper this tamper that dbl torx etc.
