Sears selling craftsman tool division.

[w2amr]

(http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/sears-to-sell-craftsman-for-dollar900-million-as-it-seeks-cash/ar-BBxVzJJ?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=DELLDHP)http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/sears-to-sell-craftsman-for-dollar900-million-as-it-seeks-cash/ar-BBxVzJJ?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=DELLDHP

[N8YX]

Time to go get the few remaining pieces of their I need... :(

[KK4AMI]

That is a sad day. When I went to school back in 1975, I decided to get my Airframe & PowerPoint Mechanics License. I got a pretty full set of tools back then, supplemented for 30 years after. I have been using them for everything, but they were always my prized possessions.

[WZ7U]

Dagnabit! :wtf: :wall:

[W3WN]

End of an era, and another sad chapter in the decline of the once-mighty Sears.

What I didn't know before I read the link -- I didn't realize that Stanley had absorbed Black & Decker. Explains a few things.

[NQ6U]

I wonder what happens to the lifetime warranty now. I have a large roll-about toolbox filled with Craftsman stuff.

[w2amr]

Time to go get the few remaining pieces of their I need... :(
Over the past several years , I bought a couple of their socket sets and combination wrench sets for my garage at home. The quality just isn't what it used to be.

[w2amr]

End of an era, and another sad chapter in the decline of the once-mighty Sears.

I think the wheels started to fall off after they bought K-Mart.

[VE7DCW]

Is Sears still based in Chicago(i.e. "the Sears Tower'') or have they farmed themselves out to Mexico and China and watered themselves down? .... that would explain the bulk of their decision making! :yes:

[W3WN]

I think the wheels started to fall off after they bought K-Mart.
If memory serves, it was the other way around. And yes, that was the start down the slippery slope.

[W3WN]

Is Sears still based in Chicago(i.e. "the Sears Tower'') or have they farmed themselves out to Mexico and China and watered themselves down? .... that would explain the bulk of their decision making! :yes: They're no longer in the former Sears Tower, but what's left of their HQ is still based in IL. For now.

[WØTKX]

If you dig into the recent history, their is/was a connection between Sears Holdings and the all but dead Radioshack.

It has to do with the well paid vampires that deal with the demise.

[KG4NEL]

I wonder what happens to the lifetime warranty now. I have a large roll-about toolbox filled with Craftsman stuff.

If you had tried to replace them, you would've gotten inferior items anyway.

[KG4NEL]

Craftsman is gone, but there are a ton of good US-made hand tool companies out there. Wright, SK (who recently emerged from French ownership, making stuff in Illinois again), Proto (a StanleyB&D holding, but one they've mostly not-fucked-around-with), Armstrong, Cornwell, and of course the Snap-On/Williams behemoth (which are mostly overpriced unless you need daily replacements).

[w2amr]

Craftsman is gone, but there are a ton of good US-made hand tool companies out there. Wright, SK (who recently emerged from French ownership, making stuff in Illinois again), Proto (a StanleyB&D holding, but one they've mostly not-fucked-around-with), Armstrong, Cornwell, and of course the Snap-On/Williams behemoth (which are mostly overpriced unless you need daily replacements). I bought all my snap-on tools for work 25 years ago. If I had to replace them today, it would cost a fortune.

[KG4CGC]

Sears I suppose, has decided that it is against their policy to sell anything but the worst shit possible so just drop the one thing left that still stood for "some" thing. Quarterly profits over long term longevity. That is what caused the downward spiral into oblivion across the board.

[WZ7U]

I bought all my snap-on tools for work 25 years ago. If I had to replace them today, it would cost a fortune.

Hell, 30 years ago it cost a fortune. I started on the tool trucks in '84 and then it was crazy expensive, but without a family to support I could justify the expense. If I had to start over again now it would be simply ridiculous. I don't know how these kids are doing it now.

[K7SGJ]

Hell, 30 years ago it cost a fortune. I started on the tool trucks in '84 and then it was crazy expensive, but without a family to support I could justify the expense. If I had to start over again now it would be simply ridiculous. I don't know how these kids are doing it now.

Like most everything with the youngsters, they got to have it right now, can't wait, put it on the cuff.

I use to see these young kids with big houses, a car or two, a big diesel pickup, motorcycles, UTV, maybe a boat, and a toy-hauler. I can't believe all of these kids are independently wealthy, or have two 6 digit plus incomes. A guy I used to work with had all that stuff, and bought another house. The idea being to keep it for a short while, and then selling it for a lot more than he paid for it. When the housing thingy happened, he lost it all because he had no equity in any of it. Needless to say, he wasn't the only one wiped out. Now, with the apparent recovery, it seems like it starting all over again.

[KC2KFC]

I think the wheels started to fall off after they bought K-Mart.
Actually, K-Mart bought Sears.

Link to Article (http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6509683/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/t/kmart-acquire-sears-billion-deal/#.WHSf5qOZOt8)

[KC2KFC]

Like most everything with the youngsters, they got to have it right now, can't wait, put it on the cuff.

I use to see these young kids with big houses, a car or two, a big diesel pickup, motorcycles, UTV, maybe a boat, and a toy-hauler. I can't believe all of these kids are independently wealthy, or have two 6 digit plus incomes. A guy I used to work with had all that stuff, and bought another house. The idea being to keep it for a short while, and then selling it for a lot more than he paid for it. When the housing thingy happened, he lost it all because he had no equity in any of it. Needless to say, he wasn't the only one wiped out. Now, with the apparent recovery, it seems like it starting all over again.

You can't fix stupid.

[W3WN]

Sears I suppose, has decided that it is against their policy to sell anything but the worst shit possible so just drop the one thing left that still stood for "some" thing. Quarterly profits over long term longevity. That is what caused the downward spiral into oblivion across the board.
It's not Sears, it's Sears Holdings, the parent (ie holding) company, that made this (very bad) decision.

Sears Holdings used to be K-Mart Holdings, the parent company of K-Mart. When they bought Sears in 2005, they changed their name, but not their philosophy.


You can't fix stupid.
Ain't that the truth!

[WZ7U]

You can't fix stupid.

Correct. But you can 'tune it up'.

[ka8ncr]

End of an era, and another sad chapter in the decline of the once-mighty Sears.

What I didn't know before I read the link -- I didn't realize that Stanley had absorbed Black & Decker. Explains a few things.

Don't they also own DeWalt?

[ka8ncr]

It's not Sears, it's Sears Holdings, the parent (ie holding) company, that made this (very bad) decision.

Sears Holdings used to be K-Mart Holdings, the parent company of K-Mart. When they bought Sears in 2005, they changed their name, but not their philosophy.


Ain't that the truth!


There is a good article on Business Insider about Sears being a dead company. Their CEO seems off his rocker, his plan was to turn Sears into a shopping club where you earned rewards and your habits, purchases and other sought after info would be sold to marketers. The guy never leaves his private island in Florida, flies off the handle and won't quit trying to turn a retailer for people who don't use the internet into an internet company.

[w2amr]

Hell, 30 years ago it cost a fortune. I started on the tool trucks in '84 and then it was crazy expensive, but without a family to support I could justify the expense. If I had to start over again now it would be simply ridiculous. I don't know how these kids are doing it now.
The mortgage to the house will be payed off before the snap-on man is.

[WZ7U]

Sad shit part about it is that if I needed to sell some stuff off to meet an emergency need, I wouldn't make ten cents on the dollar for it. It's a friggin scam.

[KA9MOT]

Sadly, Craftsman tools have gotten so bad over the years that they could have sold out to Harbor Frieght and I don't think the quality would have suffered. It used to be that the Craftsman name meant something but......

[KE6KA]

Over the past several years , I bought a couple of their socket sets and combination wrench sets for my garage at home. The quality just isn't what it used to be.

Not at all. Not even close to what it used to be. Craftsman quality is now at a point where generic Chinese tools were in the 80s. The generic Chinese junk is better than Craftsman. The cost of Craftsman tools has also gone up beyond reason. I've switched over to Lowe's Kobalt branded tools and have had very good luck.

[NQ6U]

I have bought some of the higher-end Harbor Freight combo wrenches and found them to be every bit as good as recent vintage Craftsman stuff.

[W3WN]

Don't they also own DeWalt?
Yes.