There's a poll out on what brands are most esteemed by Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Craftsman Tools appears on all three lists in a respectable position: never lower than #3, and the top brand of all for Republicans.
The thing is, Craftsman -- like all of Sears -- is not nearly as good as it used to be. The last time I took a Craftsman tool in for replacement, I traded a tool that had "CRAFTSMAN" stamped into the steel for one made in Mexico, with a sticker that would hopefully wear off before the cheap thing broke. At the recent Highland Games, where many of my comrades are motorcycle enthusiasts and workmen, part of the conversation turned on how much worse Craftsman tools are than they used to be. They are blocky, fragile, cheap: an attempt to garner a short-term profit by charging a premium price for a once-premium product that you are now obtaining as cheaply as you can manage.
You destroy a company, or a nation, in just this way. The label still bears some residual respect. It won't last forever. Experience will prove that the thing has changed, and the old strength has been washed away. When that happens, it will all fall apart.
Beware, for it is not only Sears that has made this mistake.
7 comments:
Wow. I guess it's been a while since I bought a Craftsman tool (or broke one). Good thing my old Craftsman tools are good old fashioned high quality tools.
The economy affects everyone. Whether people know it or not, the corruption easily spreads.
The chrome is still a little shiny, but the steel is poor and forging rough, likely to snap and break your knuckles..
now about tools-
For years, we always bought Craftsman because their tools not only had a lifetime guarantee, you almost never needed to make use of it anyway.
Not so now, alas.
One exception, which I believe is still good -- you should ask before acting on it -- is their garden hoses. Now these are not better made than other hoses, but the lifetime guarantee on them makes them worth considering. At least if the hose breaks (and even if it somehow gets cut), they'll swap it.
I suppose checking yard sales for Craftsman tools would be a really good idea now.
Truth.
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