Craftsman Tool Boxes: Still made in the USA!

RedVenom48

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Im in my final week as a Lexus technician. Pursuing an opportunity wrenching for Arizona's DOT in their Get-Ready facility. Since 2012, Ive not owned a toolbox as the 2 dealers ive worked for have built in tool boxes. I had a Snap-On KRA series box I sold before I went to Lexus San Diego. So, Ive now started looking at boxes.

I have found that the Craftsman boxes that are found in Lowe's retail stores are STILL built in the USA in Sedalia, Missouri! Found an article about it here:

Craftsman |Storage | Sedalia | Missouri | Chest | Woodworker's Journal

For $400 bucks, I can get a Made in USA box that can handle my tools and feel good knowing I helped support American families.

Well done Craftsman. I hate that Stanley moved Craftsman's hand tool production overseas, but at least their boxes are still made here.
 

Voltwings

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I used to be all for craftsman, but I feel like the quality just hasn't been there since Sears sold them. Been slowly switching everything over to Milwaukee, but to each his own.
 

Fordflo

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I had bought my craftsman toolboxes from Sears...yeah, I miss Sears. Grew up with Sears and buying all my tools and just everything from them appliances and stuff...it seems like Dewalt is the NEW craftsman of the 21st century...just my two cents
 

Voltwings

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I had bought my craftsman toolboxes from Sears...yeah, I miss Sears. Grew up with Sears and buying all my tools and just everything from them appliances and stuff...it seems like Dewalt is the NEW craftsman of the 21st century...just my two cents

Put up part of a fence with a mutual neighbor who had a 20v Dewalt impact... that thing was nice haha.
 

DSG2003Mach1

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I used to be all for craftsman, but I feel like the quality just hasn't been there since Sears sold them. Been slowly switching everything over to Milwaukee, but to each his own.

I believe they were sold again and that's why theyre now showing up in Lowe's etc, seems they are improving things.

Milwaukee's Fuel series is so far ahead of anything craftsman offers its not even funny, they're absolutely killing the game right now.

As far as boxes, we bought a big Craftsman box from Lowes last year, got a good deal as the display box was the only one left (30% off I think). There's no HF near us in NC so that was good
 

Corbic

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I believe they were sold again and that's why theyre now showing up in Lowe's etc, seems they are improving things.

Milwaukee's Fuel series is so far ahead of anything craftsman offers its not even funny, they're absolutely killing the game right now.

As far as boxes, we bought a big Craftsman box from Lowes last year, got a good deal as the display box was the only one left (30% off I think). There's no HF near us in NC so that was good
Craftsman is owned by Stanley who also owns DeWalt.

American owned, foreign made. DeWalt is the premium "Pro-sumer" product line. They, like Craftsman, are trying to push that "Assembled in America" appeal.


Milwaukee is Hong Kong based, foreign made, and competes directly with DeWalt and Makita. Most will argue they are the guys to beat in this segment.

Craftsman is down a peg with HF's Bauer, Lowes Kobalt (which is being phased out), Rigid and Ryobi brands.

Hilti is on a whole different level as professional tools that no home user should worry about.

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SVTXTC

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Craftsman is owned by Stanley who also owns DeWalt.

American owned, foreign made. DeWalt is the premium "Pro-sumer" product line. They, like Craftsman, are trying to push that "Assembled in America" appeal.


Milwaukee is Hong Kong based, foreign made, and competes directly with DeWalt and Makita. Most will argue they are the guys to beat in this segment.

Craftsman is down a peg with HF's Bauer, Lowes Kobalt (which is being phased out), Rigid and Ryobi brands.

Hilti is on a whole different level as professional tools that no home user should worry about.

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anything else foreign in your home?
 

Corbic

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anything else foreign in your home?
Not sure I catch the joke?

Are you asking what tools I use?

DeWalt brushless. I'm up to six tools and 5 batteries. I also have a corded Kobalt Ugga-Dugga I bought in '08 that rips like a mutha fudger still, so it stays.

Recently bought some Tekton screw drivers and sockets, big fan. Grand Rapids based, pliers are US made, Hammers Chinese and sockets Taiwanese. I'll be sticking with Tekton.

My other hand tools are a hodgepodge of vintage hand me down craftsman, newer craftsman and Harbor Freight. I really like the Doyle pliers.

I do care about all my products and I do pay attention to where they are sourced. For me, Taiwan, Korea, etc are free countries that practice fair trade and are not communist dis-topian hell holes.

Places like the Dominican Republic* and Mexico sure need the investment dollars and are not economic, cultural or military threats to the US as well.


*My Timberland Pitboss Boots are made there, I'm not about to destroy my $300 Redwings doing stupid shit, but a $80 pair of PB... Yup, oh and they've held up amazingly.


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Kevins89notch

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I will admit, I am a harbor freight whore. But I'm also a cheap jew. hahaha

Ditto... in a sense. Once I get a house, I'm getting some badass power tools. Toolbox wise, I have a pretty decent sized Mac Tools box I got on craigslist for $700, completely filled with tools. Otherwise, I love me a trip to HF!
 

ccq8le

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I really am not brand specific any more with tools as I was before, as I would only buy craftsman or Snap-On or Mac and was kind of a tool snob 15+years ago. Now days I do still have all my USA craftsman fully polished stuff I had bought back when Sears was king, and most have held up well, and I still use them today.

For work we buy/use Proto, or Gear Wrench, and recently I have been seeing a lot of our hand tools saying "Armstrong" on them (which I am not familiar with).

Thanks for the Tip on The Tool Box. I have heard Craftsman has recently or will soon be opening a USA facility to make some tools USA again.
 

Machdup1

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I bought my Craftsman box on sale when they were closing one of the stores over a year ago. Never had an issue.

I guess we’ll know in ten years if the quality is really there.
 

kevinatfms

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My Craftsman box has been great. I cross shopped between HF's US General, Craftsman and Husky. The Craftsman was the cheapest of the bunch. I got a $50 gift card to Lowes and ended up using it on the Craftsman box set(top/bottom combo).

I wanted the matching Craftsman side cart but they dont make one that had the configuration shown in the photo below(Husky and HF make them but only Husky makes it in 36" width which is what i needed).

Sorry my garage is a mess....shutters fell off during a storm, the mickey mouse blanket is covering my wife's Edge Sport wheels during winter and the little tikes car was in for some maintenance on one of its wheels(squeaky). Its usually not that busy in there.

IMG_6643.JPG
 

shurur

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My Craftsman box has been great. I cross shopped between HF's US General, Craftsman and Husky. The Craftsman was the cheapest of the bunch. I got a $50 gift card to Lowes and ended up using it on the Craftsman box set(top/bottom combo).

I wanted the matching Craftsman side cart but they dont make one that had the configuration shown in the photo below(Husky and HF make them but only Husky makes it in 36" width which is what i needed).

Sorry my garage is a mess....shutters fell off during a storm, the mickey mouse blanket is covering my wife's Edge Sport wheels during winter and the little tikes car was in for some maintenance on one of its wheels(squeaky). Its usually not that busy in there.

My work area is a shade tree, tarps and sterlite containers for my tools.
That ain't no mess.

I have some old box wrenches that were made in India!
It is a history of tools museum piece set.

Sad that we make so few tools in American anymore, and that tool boxes are almost all there is left.
+1 for Tekton.
I like stuff from Taiwan as well.

I've shattered Gear wrench, Duralast and HF sockets, and junked ratchets from them as well.

I have a 1/2 HF ratchet in my scrap pile now that probably never made 100 full turns.
It is not worth bringing it back as I would just get anther piece of junk from them.
 

Crimson2v

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Biggest issue I worry about those boxes are the slides. I have a Matco box, paid 2800 for it back in 05. Besides some of the paint falling off the box has been put through 14 years of abuse at various shops I’ve worked at and all the slides work perfectly. If you had it in your budget I would look for a used Matco, Snap-on or Cornhole box. Congratulations on the new job, hopefully you will enjoy the fleet job. It certainly beats dealership life!
 

kevinatfms

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My work area is a shade tree, tarps and sterlite containers for my tools.
That ain't no mess.
I have some old box wrenches that were made in India!
It is a history of tools museum piece set.

Sad that we make so few tools in American anymore, and that tool boxes are almost all there is left.
+1 for Tekton.
I like stuff from Taiwan as well.

I've shattered Gear wrench, Duralast and HF sockets, and junked ratchets from them as well.

I have a 1/2 HF ratchet in my scrap pile now that probably never made 100 full turns.
It is not worth bringing it back as I would just get anther piece of junk from them.

I ended up buying two sets of Tekton 3/8 and 1/2 stubby impact sockets to keep in my travel tool bag and its one of the best kits ive bought. Blow molded heavy duty case, each are etched with the size and logo and they fit on nut heads perfectly. Really happy with the purchase versus going with another brand.

Tekton also has a pretty sweet set of ratchets. I didnt end up buying them as i went with "ICON" from Harbor Freight but the Tekton ratchets looked like some good quality stuff. The ICON stuff has held up quite well so far and them sitting next to my Snap-on ones makes it look like they ripped off the design of the handle and stuff right off the Snap-on Blue Point series of tools.
 

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