Sears Tools That Suck On The Price

murphy1244 · Feb 21, 2012

rsewill said:
I remember when Sears won a patent suit against the guy who invented the quick release mechanism used in Sears ratchets. Sears claimed that the design was obvious or some such claim and the courts found that argument valid and gave the inventor nothing. Leaves a sour taste about Sears and the idiot court every time I use the quick release because it is a clever design. Some of my non-Sears ratchets require that I smack them to get a socket off.

The guy was working for Sears.There ain't no way a air cut-off tool from central pnumatic goes for 199.95

rsewill · Feb 21, 2012

murphy1244 said:
The guy worked for Sears at the time of invention.

Thanks for filling in that gap in my memory. But where did he work? Selling tools? Or designing them? Makes a difference to me but clearly not to the court.

crazyal · Feb 21, 2012

I was curious about what drill press you're talking about, is this the drill press?
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more
If so you do know that's not a Sears Craftsman drill press nor is it sold by Sears, right? Sears on-line is now like Amazon, they sell stuff directly as well as have other companies sell through their website. In this case the company selling it is called Ponder Rosa Assembly.

When I was much younger you had several choices for tools. Cheap Chinese tools that cost a few bucks for a full set, Sears Craftsman, tools of the same quality as the Craftsman, and the Snapon/ MAC brands. Of them Craftsman was the easiest to get your hands on. The Chinese ones were real junk and could be found at the Walmart type stores. The brands equal to the Craftsman were much harder to get or return. Plus Craftsman has been around for ever. I have some that are over 70 years old.

I haven't bought much in the way of Craftsman lately. I did pick up a 2 1/4" socket that I used with a breaker bar and a 5' pipe and it held up great. But good tools last and rarely get replaced so if I ever need to replace them I don't know which brand I would buy. Lowes is the most convenient of them for me.

sixdogs · Feb 22, 2012

stevewatr said:
I was just re-organizing my tool chest, and sorting through my combi wrenches, seeing wich duplicate sizes I'd get rid of, wich to keep. I noticed a couple things I'd like to share.

I pulled out one Craftsman and it had a poor finish, looked like some of the cheapo no namres i also tossed.

Noticed several others that were very nice quality, highly polished. I like the high polish for 2 reasons:

They are easier to wipe down when done, and they just look more like the toolmaker "cared".

I also noticed a few SK wrenches, same issue as above, some were much nicer.

Lastly, I noticed a few "oddballs" I've picked up over the years, names like "Billings", and "Walden". Walden tools were made right here in Worcester, Massachusetts. Long since gone, but the tools live on.

My best 1/2" drive ratchet was made by Steven Walden right in the same building I walked into about 20 years ado to buy it. If the mechanism breaks, I'm out of luck. So far that has not been an issue.

I think some of our tools we gripe about are not just tools, they are our history, anecdotes, and heirlooms. How many of us can probably point to a tool in there shop, and say "That belonged to my Dad, Pop, Pa, etc.", or say "That was the first tool I bought with my own money", or maybe there is a whole story behind how it came into your hands, "Bought that 8n back in '75, and this pipe wrench was in the tool tray, been with the tractor ever since."

Indeed, many of us may have already thought about who will care for our tools when we are gone. Is this offspring of mine "toolworthy", or will they just toss it in a yard sale. Do they KNOW how important these tools were to me??? Will they care............

Steve W.

Very profound. Indeed, who will care for our tools when we are gone or will they wind up in a yard sale? I bought tools that way and wondered what they would say if they could talk.
Fifty years ago I listened to a wise man who told me to buy the best tools I clould afford. I did --and still have almost all of my 3/8", six point SK socket set. They were the best back then that I could afford and they still look great despite decades of use. There is a mystique about a fine tool. Doesn't seem Sears of today fits that bill. Just my two cents.

Gale Hawkins · Feb 22, 2012

If we do not train our or other kids to use them our older used tools will be worth about scrap metal price. Mine are coming together in my later years due to no real shop over the years.

MasseyWV · Feb 22, 2012

murphy1244 said:
Are you willing to pay for a all high carbon steel tool?

Yes I am.

chopped · Feb 22, 2012

Murphy just visit the site and send them an email. Nothe mine and the other TBN posters are no responsive so far, but as he said wait till Tommorrow to resend another. The more people who take a second to email or call Sears the firmer the point.
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more
As you can see there are no reviews
which is incorect, As i posted one and have the approval email notice from sears and it showed up for one day and then disappeared.

reference this .
When writing your review, please consider the following guidelines:
•Provide details about why you liked or disliked a product
I simply wrote that the price was way more than a competors.
Yet they chose to censor their reviews.Which is not in the cuastomers interest.By doing this they have in my book discredited any reviews on their site.I am still awaiting any responce from them I suspect there will be none.

Gale Hawkins · Feb 22, 2012

I go the email this morning about their 51" Samsung HDTV $350 off the regular $999 price. I know at Christmas WM had a 55" for $999 but have not looked at them since and only looked then because we were buying one at church.

If not in tools maybe they plan to stay competitive in home products.

If Sears is now K-Mart they may get more into discounting.

Bird · Feb 22, 2012

Gale Hawkins said:
I go the email this morning about their 51" Samsung HDTV $350 off the regular $999 price. I know at Christmas WM had a 55" for $999 but have not looked at them since and only looked then because we were buying one at church.

If not in tools maybe they plan to stay competitive in home products.

If Sears is now K-Mart they may get more into discounting.

I got the same e-mail from Sears.

Must be a national sale; maybe overstocked?

crazyal · Feb 22, 2012

chopped said:
Murphy just visit the site and send them an email. Nothe mine and the other TBN posters are no responsive so far, but as he said wait till Tommorrow to resend another. The more people who take a second to email or call Sears the firmer the point.
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more
As you can see there are no reviews
which is incorect, As i posted one and have the approval email notice from sears and it showed up for one day and then disappeared.

reference this .
When writing your review, please consider the following guidelines:
姫rovide details about why you liked or disliked a product
I simply wrote that the price was way more than a competors.
Yet they chose to censor their reviews.Which is not in the cuastomers interest.By doing this they have in my book discredited any reviews on their site.I am still awaiting any responce from them I suspect there will be none.

You do understand that a company called Ponder Rosa Assembly, not Sears is the one selling that cut off tool. I doubt Sears sets the price.

Anyone try the Craftsman Universal Wrenches? I noticed them in a flier and they just look like combination wrenches. I haven't seen them in person but on-line you can see that the box end is different (not sure if it's really needed).