Craftsman Tool Boxes: Still made in the USA!

xblitzkriegx · Jan 14, 2020

New Factory Means More Craftsman Hand Tools will be Made in the USA

The important parts:

Stanley Black & Decker has issued an investor press release, saying that they will be opening a new Craftsman factory in Fort Worth, Texas.

The new Craftsman tool plant will break ground this summer and is expected to be completed in late 2020. With the new 425,000 square foot facility, Craftsman is following through on their promise to produce more tools in the USA.

The factory will manufacture Craftsman mechanics hand tools, including sockets, ratchets, wrenches, and tool sets.

nxhappy · Jan 14, 2020

I don't know if they do anymore, but about 10 years ago I got a bad ass tool chest from Costco. It was a great price and has been super solid all these years.

SolarYellow · Jan 15, 2020

Voltwings said:
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.

Long gone!

RedVenom48 · Jan 15, 2020

SolarYellow said:
Long gone!

I have some faith in Stanley. They produce MAC tools which I would place solidly in the pro category. Snap-On, Matco and MAC are all brands Id trust to go through daily professional use. Never has an issue with any of them.

If Stanley can produce a set of Craftsman branded hand tools with average to better than average quality for a competitive price to Harbor Freight tools, Id consider that a win.

Corbic · Jan 15, 2020

lexustech48 said:
I have some faith in Stanley. They produce MAC tools which I would place solidly in the pro category. Snap-On, Matco and MAC are all brands Id trust to go through daily professional use. Never has an issue with any of them.

If Stanley can produce a set of Craftsman branded hand tools with average to better than average quality for a competitive price to Harbor Freight tools, Id consider that a win.

They are priced higher then Pittsburgh but are of better visual appeal and packaging.

Quality is on par with Kobalt and better then the stuff they had been putting out 15 years ago.

I think their big expanse has been into the cordless powertools.

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RedVenom48 · Jan 15, 2020

Corbic said:
They are priced higher then Pittsburgh but are of better visual appeal and packaging.

Quality is on par with Kobalt and better then the stuff they had been putting out 15 years ago.

I think their big expanse has been into the cordless powertools.

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DeWalt is the only cordless power tool brand Ill use professionally and they are made by Stanley. Even a lesser version wearing Craftsman for the home mechanic/DIY will help the brand tremendously if they chose to do that.

Corbic · Jan 15, 2020

lexustech48 said:
DeWalt is the only cordless power tool brand Ill use professionally and they are made by Stanley. Even a lesser version wearing Craftsman for the home mechanic/DIY will help the brand tremendously if they chose to do that.

Yup.

This guy pulls apart all brands of tools to review the innards. Pretty fun to watch.

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Fastback · Jan 16, 2020

Been watching AvE for a couple years now. Good information. Good guy!

08mojo · Jan 17, 2020

offroadkarter said:
my goal is to minimize how often any of my cars or my family's cars have to go to a shop for work. At some point I'll be getting a tire mounter + balancer and the real trick will be getting a setup to do alignments and learn how to do that. I have some experience with tire machines but I've never done alignments before.

I just have a huge distrust of using shops for anything, which is why when I do find one that is reliable, I'm willing to travel. Which is why my body shop guy is 3+ hours away in Maryland

Wish we were neighbors! I would definitely pitch in on the ownership of a tire machine. I used to change tires at my Dad's shop growing up. It pains me to watch the dummy at the tire shops beat the crap out of my wheels.

You'll find that alignments are easier than you think. Simple tools can get you to good results.

Corbic said:
Yup.

This guy pulls apart all brands of tools to review the innards. Pretty fun to watch.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

AVE is awesome. Dude cracks me up!

SolarYellow · Jan 17, 2020

lexustech48 said:
I have some faith in Stanley. They produce MAC tools which I would place solidly in the pro category. Snap-On, Matco and MAC are all brands Id trust to go through daily professional use. Never has an issue with any of them.

If Stanley can produce a set of Craftsman branded hand tools with average to better than average quality for a competitive price to Harbor Freight tools, Id consider that a win.

Thirty years ago on Xmas morning I opened my Sega Genesis with Altered Beast pack in, other do dads for a young teen but my mother also had a pile of craftsman tools. At the time I was oblivious but for thirty years I've used the same 3/8 ratchet on everything from a 7 series water pump to a tubular bumper on a YJ and to this day it is still as smooth as ever. The last time I went into Sears or K-Mart and looked at Craftsman hand tools left me believing whomever made the decision to transfer the line to china should have received a kick in the arse. You have to be a special kind of retarded to destroy a well established line as easily as someone did.

Edit: My grand mother just died and ole Pop is ready to join her and he always tells me to take whatever of his I want so naturally I've taken old craftsman handtools and even some hand tools made in Japan. I'm constantly baffled at the difference in quality from then to now.

RedVenom48 · Jan 17, 2020

SolarYellow said:
Thirty years ago on Xmas morning I opened my Sega Genesis with Altered Beast pack in, other do dads for a young teen but my mother also had a pile of craftsman tools. At the time I was oblivious but for thirty years I've used the same 3/8 ratchet on everything from a 7 series water pump to a tubular bumper on a YJ and to this day it is still as smooth as ever. The last time I went into Sears or K-Mart and looked at Craftsman hand tools left me believing whomever made the decision to transfer the line to china should have received a kick in the arse. You have to be a special kind of retarded to destroy a well established line as easily as someone did.

Edit: My grand mother just died and ole Pop is ready to join her and he always tells me to take whatever of his I want so naturally I've taken old craftsman handtools and even some hand tools made in Japan. I'm constantly baffled at the difference in quality from then to now.

Sorry to hear about your Grandma, sir.

Yes, it was a different time. I was lucky enough to start my wrenching career when Craftsman tools were still mostly USA forged. You ask me, Sears could have shuttered everything but appliance sales and Craftsman tools and really taken it to Harbor Freight. Alas, it was Sear's error and Stanley's gain.

offroadkarter · Jan 17, 2020

08mojo said:
Wish we were neighbors! I would definitely pitch in on the ownership of a tire machine. I used to change tires at my Dad's shop growing up. It pains me to watch the dummy at the tire shops beat the crap out of my wheels.

You'll find that alignments are easier than you think. Simple tools can get you to good results.

A friend of mine has a Ranger RX850 tire machine and Coats 700 balancer, old but they work. Like him I've grown distrustful of farming out work, he takes it to a next level though which is why I've helped with more than one windshield change.

lOOKnGO · Jan 17, 2020

Lowes owns the Craftsman name. It was sold in Oct valued at 900mil. The purchase price went to solidify pensions Sears had to retired employees. This is information provided by upper management in Lowe's to me. New school Dewalt suck ass. Milwaukee smashes all others hands down in the option and function market availability. Hilti, festool, Fein are on a commercial level all to their own.

Blown 89 · Jan 18, 2020

Craftsman's consumer line was never that good, even when it was made in the usa. We didn't lose anything by them going overseas.

prs97 · Jan 18, 2020

When I started working at 14, the first thing I did with my first saved wad of cash was to buy a Craftsman 200-something (220? 240?) piece tool set which I still use on the regular.

This pic below caught my eye since the drawers are all labeled. I recently started doing this since I'm cleaning up my toolboxes but wasn't sure if I was just being my super type-A self again and this was unneeded. Looks like someone else thought it's a good idea.

View attachment 1618847

CobraBob · Jan 18, 2020

nxhappy said:
I don't know if they do anymore, but about 10 years ago I got a bad ass tool chest from Costco. It was a great price and has been super solid all these years.

I wonder if we have the same chest. I bought mine about 10 years ago, too. Red. It was a great deal and the chest has performed really well.

bigja01cobra · Jan 18, 2020

lOOKnGO said:
Lowes owns the Craftsman name. It was sold in Oct valued at 900mil. The purchase price went to solidify pensions Sears had to retired employees. This is information provided by upper management in Lowe's to me. New school Dewalt suck ass. Milwaukee smashes all others hands down in the option and function market availability. Hilti, festool, Fein are on a commercial level all to their own.

Stanley Black and Decker owns Craftsmen name, but signed to sell only to lowes not Home depot. But you can still buy craftsmen at Ace Hardware and maybe Amazon and Menards.

Corbic · Jan 20, 2020

bigja01cobra said:
Stanley Black and Decker owns Craftsmen name, but signed to sell only to lowes not Home depot. But you can still buy craftsmen at Ace Hardware and maybe Amazon and Menards.

Edit:

I met Meijer is is hooked up with Tekton. I don't shop at Menards, that store hurts my head.

HD has Milwaukee, Lowes does not

kevinatfms · Jan 21, 2020

prs97 said:
When I started working at 14, the first thing I did with my first saved wad of cash was to buy a Craftsman 200-something (220? 240?) piece tool set which I still use on the regular.

This pic below caught my eye since the drawers are all labeled. I recently started doing this since I'm cleaning up my toolboxes but wasn't sure if I was just being my super type-A self again and this was unneeded. Looks like someone else thought it's a good idea.

View attachment 1618847

It makes it easier to get the tool you need. It also helps when friends/family are helping you or working on their cars. They dont need to ask over and over where each tool is. They just look at the label and go from there.

Definitely helps when people put tools away too. So i dont have to go back and put things back into certain drawers since they couldnt find them.

RedVenom48 · Jan 21, 2020

kevinatfms said:
It makes it easier to get the tool you need. It also helps when friends/family are helping you or working on their cars. They dont need to ask over and over where each tool is. They just look at the label and go from there.

Definitely helps when people put tools away too. So i dont have to go back and put things back into certain drawers since they couldnt find them.

I recently started to use a socket organizer in my tool cart. My God, its not even funny how much easier it makes my life finding sockets.

Craftsman Tool Boxes: Still made in the USA!

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