I’ve had Craftsman’s 2008 Holiday Tool Preview catalog on my desk for a few months now, but have not quite found the right time to talk about it. Actually, I don’t think that there will ever be a good time to talk about it – it’s not exactly a simple or straightforward issue.
The thing that’s been nagging at me is a small blurb repeated on pages 19, 20, and 23: All Craftsman sockets and wrenches are proudly made in the USA.
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Well, that’s no longer true. Currently, Craftsman’s DogBone wrenches, universal spline wrenches, and new ratcheting wrenches are NOT made in the USA. It does not look like the production of existing made-in-the-USA products will be shifted away from USA suppliers any time soon, but will this always be true? The possibility of this happening is what is really bothering me.
We’re currently reviewing some of the new Craftsman Professional (made in PRC) ratcheting wrench offerings. It’s too soon to talk about them in detail, but I can already tell that the reviews will be accompanied by a very lengthy editorial.
IndyEngineer
I am definitely looking forward to ToolGuyds review of the new Craftsman wrenches made over seas. As innovative as they are, I can’t bring myself to buy any of them. There is just something warm and fuzzy about seeing “Made In USA” on my tools.
Lowell
I am interested in the outcome also, whatever happened?
photobug
I worked at Sears selling tools for pushing 5 years until weeks before my store closed in 2017. So I saw a lot of tools devolve into Chinese junk. Quality and supply of ratchet repair kits dropped. The owner of Sears wasn’t, IMHO, trying to keep costs down – it just didn’t cost that much more for good US made tools, and most of my customers were willing to pay more. Also, the company deprecated the value of the lifetime warranty by making it difficult to get a lot of tools. However, certain lines within Craftsman were still good.
Now, there are only a few Sears and KMarts left, and Craftsman was sold to B&D. At least they have reverted quite a few tools to US production. I’m not thrilled that the C3 power tool line was abandoned – including replacement batteries, since I have many of these tools. Nothing against the newer tools, some of which appear nearly identical to the old. And the C3 tools were typically well made, but batteries do wear out.
Steve
I’ve always been a fan of Craftsman tools. I always check the package for the country of origin. I will only buy a Craftsman hand tool that is made in the USA. I hope they get back on track.
teicher
I think that more and more of the wrenches, sockets, and other hand tools are going to be made in China, not in the USA. It seems like a core piece of the Craftsman strategy going forward: 1. build the brand with a strong focus on the Innovations angle, 2. use Chinese and other offshore manufacturing to hit price points for non-pro customers (Harbor Freight and Lowes are Craftsmans real competitors, not truck tools), and 3. get the tools into non Sears locations like Amazon and Ace since foot traffic to Sears just isn’t what it used to be.
J Paulding
My family has been buying Craftsman hand tools exclusively for three generations.
I will buy NOTHING of theirs that is made in China.
Chris
People shop with their wallets. You can say that you will never buy a tool made in China but the realitiy is the price of American goods keeps going up, but endusers don’t want to pay for the “extras” that raise the price. Maybe a small few on tool blogs say they do, but the realality is most people don’t. Especially when alot of tools coming out of China have the same quality as the tools made in the States.
Also when one competitor lowers the price of their tool becuase the shipped it out of the states it forces alot of the other guys to lower the price and eventually they will have to ship it out to keep competititive and not get kicked out of the retailer.
I can images the Sears/Craftsman is starting to feel the pinch from everyone else and it’s business so they have keep up.
Marksman
Just the thought of having tools made by forced child labor makes me sick. Can’t do it. Guess I’ll be “shopping” yard sales when I need new tools.
uthscsaedu
Someone screwed up big time by leaving this in the catalog. Didn’t they already get in big trouble for this? I guess I’m thinking about Stanley.
Either way, what a blatant thing to overlook. Come on Sears…
correction
They didn’t.
That’s from the 2008 catalog not 2010.
Stuart
At the time, this was true…
Al Grossman
I don’t care what you “economic experts” have to say. I’ll never buy a Craftsman tool made in China. It’s an insult.
John Wright
I will never by a Craftsman or any other tool made in RED COMMUNIST China. I will buy Kobalt as long as they are made in the USA or buy used tools —USA made—from e-bay.
louis r
Taiwan is a ally of the USA, taiwan buys millions if not billions of military hardware from the USA, so if its good quality from taiwan dont feel bad buying it.
Stuart
John, many Kobalt tools are also made in China or Taiwan.
David
Believe you me fellas, i am right there with you when it comes to made in usa tools. Though, not that I will purchase anymore of the new production line of craftsman, bastards… The new universal type wrenches and sockets are excellent. They work well, have better grip, you can torque, push and pull betta, and lets just admit it, its a badass design! I really wish these were made in usa or i’d replace all of my existing craftsman with these tools. Well so much for good ol usa, ebay here i come for vintage craftsman. ps, i am going to keep these new tools, put em to the test. i have had these new tools for about three months. i work on at least 30 cars a day, and i beat the living hell outta my tools. theyre pretty good so far, dumped and left overnight in gas, dirty oil, tranny fluid, gear oil, dirt, water, used on rusted, rounded tools. piggy backed em, dropped, thrown, and have pounded the hell out of this new set, outstanding, except, theyre not usa made, and they cant fit in tight places like our good ol usa’s!
Rowdy Bolinger
The line has to be drawn, sure some/most people are jerks and will buy anything cheap without any thought into where it’s made…but those of us that do care, KNOW, that made in America means American jobs. If you really support American workers, BUY AMERICAN!!!!!!!! No matter what the cost, do without, save your money, do whatever you have to do but BUY AMERICAN!!! Educating yourself in what’s going on politically in America would be a plus also, people that do what’s best for the global economy instead of what’s good for America should be voted out of office… If Sears sells out you can bet your life I will never buy one of their RED COMMUNIST CHINA tools !!!!
Anthony
Rowdy i agree with you , thats the smartest thing i have ever read.I have been saying this for 30 years.
Eddie Marquez
Damn it, ill proudly drink to that……
Rowdy Bolinger
Personally I buy used Snap-On tools on ebay for this very reason, to avoid sending my money to a RED COMMUNIST government. You can research the seller, you know Snap-on is American, etc… I have drawn the line in my life, the days of throwing my money around not knowing where it’s going are over…I will not support a RED COMMUNIST government’s efforts to build their military and destroy our way of life for anything!!!!!! I’m done, it’s over, it’s time to put AMERICA and AMERICANS FIRST!!!!!!!!
Joe Collins
When it comes to quality in tools crafstman has always been there. Their warranty is by far the best and it is easy to get replacement tools (for now). The other tool manufactures that are used by the professional tradesman are going the way of not standing behind their tools, eg. Klien, Stanley. When Americans realize how good we have it with everything available including the best tools made in America, we won’t have it anymore because we wanted to save a buck and buy a Chinese made look alike! Stay the course and buy American made so that your kids will have a strong country to be as proud of as we have!!
zed
ENOUGH with the nonsense of BUY AMERICAN tools or nothing at all.
How many of you clowns have a foreign made car and a houseful of Chinese crap? ALL of you do. Even your damn underwear is foreign made.
Your posturing is idiotic. You already sold out but are too chicken to face the fact
Joe
Dear Zed,
It is morons with the attitude like yours that are selling this country to china. It is true we all have foreign products in our lives. Honestly it cant be avoided. But some of us have pride and strive to buy American whenever we can. So if you dont really care then keep thinking the way you do.
Brad Morgan
I will NEVER buy Chinese Craftsman tools. My wife and I wont buy ANYTHING made in China, which means there are quite a few things we have to just do without unfortunately. On the good side – we are saving a lot of money and using it to buy GOLD.
floyd marshall
I traveled across the border from Canada to the US to buy a Craftsman wrench, as all Sears sells in Canada are craftsman tools made in China. The wrench I bought in the states has stamped on it FORGED IN THE USA could someone tell me if this is some sort of word play, because I would like to know if it was made there as that was important to me.
Stuart
Hi Floyd,
If the tool says “forged in USA,” then there is no doubt that it’s made in the USA.
floyd marshall
Thank you Stuart
SteveR
Floyd–I suspect that the Sears store you went to happened to have some NOS (new old stock) on hand. They’re getting harder to find anymore, and seems to be primarily in the retail stores. I think the changeover began in 2011, which is about the last time I bought any Craftsman tools. If you’dre looking for more NOS (whatever the maker), Harry J. Epstein Co. is good for those items. Check them out on the internet
Occasionally I end up buying Asian-made tools; it seems unavoidable these days when the American version is no longer made here. I try to buy American whenever possible; there is something different about them that I like. I don’t buy much these days; generally, it’s a specialty tool I don’t already own, or something that I saw here or at Tools In Action which grabs me. I don’t shop in stores much anymore (I mostly buy on Amazon), so there are fewer impulse purchases.
Ernie
If craftsman is making tools in China then why buy them? I can get the same cheap crap at Harbor Freight for alot less and I am sure that is is made by the same foaks.
Paul
Product manufacturing will continue to move offshore as long as labor is dirt cheap and you can dump your waste in the drinking water outside the back door.
This is the new American way and the way of the world. Get rich quick over the bodies of others when the bodies get low just get some more.
Very sad but true.
William
Maybe it is just a way of identifying the ‘manufacturer’ as being a USA company, but some of them are making tools in FarFarAway (China, Mexico, etc.), and advertising them as ‘American Made’ or similarly, not MADE IN USA. These tools are not stamped MADE IN USA, instead they are stamped with actual country of origin or not stamped at all. My guess is those companies are simply trying to dupe the customers.
Ronman
Hey guys/gals.. I live in an area that used to be the Carpet Capitol of The World. Just like everything else in the USA our culture has changed. I now work beside people from many different countries and some are great people. I don’t mind working beside them. Please don’t get me wrong. I want America to be number one in everything but be real… We have taught countries we feed how to fish. The bar has been raised for us to show we are superior and can be better people at all levels of life. So… Enough out of me! I will use Craftsmans, shoot my 308, wear my Carhartts, Justin boots, George Strait hat, Ride my 16.2 hand horse, Mend my fence on my 1993 Yamaha 4 wheeler, Shake my black neibors hand, drink my Folgers Coffee and pray for my 26 year old son in the Air Force that was Established in 1947. Things have been changing for a long time folks!!!
Allen
I agree with what you say but with a caveat, it is never a good idea to get so indebted to one country.
At some point we stop being the dog and start being the tail.
Dave White
I just bought some sockets at Sears and when I got home I saw that they were made in china, I took them back. I DO NOT SUPPORT CHINA at all !!!!! They can keep their crap. But what really torques me is Sears Building up their tools as made in USA for years and years and now having china make their tools. If I want junk I will go to Harbour Frieght, Sears just lost my business and I hope they go out of business !!!
Stuart
Which sockets did you buy? Their chrome sockets have always been made in the USA, and I haven’t yet seen reports that their COO has changed. Certain Craftsman sockets, such as their Max Axess and universal socket designs, were never made in the USA.
Just because something is made overseas doesn’t automatically make it junk. That’s not to say that I don’t also prefer USA-made wrenches and sockets, but some of Craftsman’s imported stuff are pretty decent.
Doug
Let’s wake up America, and Canada. Boot China off the market and put our people back to work. Start rewinding to pride and quality even if you pay a bit more to fed your fellow citizens. Tell your store managers to smarten up and stop buying shiny, cheap Chinese stuff.
Larry Saenz
I buy what works for me, USA preferred, but that only happens with professionals(Mac, Snap on, Matco etc. etc.) these days, being a garage mechanic, I buy as I do because as a do it your self person I can only afford Craftsman, Harbor freight, DeWalt. Being said Craftsman and Gear wrench are higher rated than Snap-on, Matco and Mac along with Harbor Freight, having higher rated Ratchets. What would you do?
Randy Howard
There is no way possible craftsman or harbor freight are rated better than any real snap-on tools. I have tons of old craftsman tools and a few cheapo hf and whatever brand tools. I also have a snap on toolbox that cost as much as a decent vehicle, filled with enough snap-on tools to buy a house or two. I can guarantee you theres not one hf tool that come close to the quality of snap-on. Craftsman doesn’t come close either but the old stuff is durable but still not close to a snap-on tool. You can feel the difference in the steel and the chrome, the fit and finish is superior as well. Hand tools and pneumatic only, lets not put cordless tools in this. See if you can find an air hammer like a ph3050 from any other tool manufacturer. Doubtfully
My SO wrenches are all flank drive and they grab the head so good if its worn down smaller then nominal size it bites in so hard sometimes its hard to get the wrench to let go. But she never slips off for sure.