A few weeks ago, in addition to very subtly announcing their acquisition of Waterloo, Stanley Black & Decker offered some updates about what they’ve been doing with their Craftsman brand.
First, where will we be able to buy Craftsman tools once Stanley Black & Decker gets to producing them?
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Ace will support Craftsman on hardware channel.
Lowes will support Craftsman on home center channel.
Amazon will also be selling Craftsman tools, online.
SBD wants to make Craftsman tools more available to users than ever before, and it looks like they’ll be able to achieve this easily.
It’s expected that the first tools will hit store shelves in the second half of 2018. In other words, probably the late summer and fall, with an emphasis during the winter holiday shopping season.
They say that “support is overwhelming for the iconic brand,” and that there will inevitably be greater demand than supply in 2018.
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Relaunching the Craftsman brand under SBD will require a “multi-year transition period.”
In general, SBD launches 1000 new core tools each year. That won’t change, and “can’t change.” There’s a need to launch “several thousand” Craftsman products, and that’s in addition to everything that SBD’s brands are already working on.
As impatient as I might be, I can understand the care they’re taking to do things right. I do wish that they were more vocal about what’s going on behind the scenes. But for the time being, I’m happy to pluck news like this from investor materials.
I really wonder what the terms of the hand tool guarantee will look like. Will Ace and Lowes be honoring it, or Amazon too?
With SBD committed to manufacturing many Craftsman tools in the USA, I have been thinking about what I will look to buy first. Personally, I’m curious to see what their ratcheting wrenches will look like. Will there be USA-made Craftsman power tools?
Nathan
ideally – if they made a craftsman cordless tool – that is the capability of a dewalt and feature set – for less or near equal – and using a common enough battery set. I’d sure look hard at one.
If it was compatible with PC – I’d look slightly less hard at one.
If it was anything else and unique I’d hard pass right then. Unless dewalt products magically go up in price because of this but I don’t see that happening – becuase competition.
Now if they make their handtools to the quality of say the MAC line they own, or who is it williams? And they are made in america in a store I can go feel on my own. I’ll consider their hand tools again. If they are’t re badges stanely handtools sold at wall mart or those dewalt handtools that while look good are still made in china (I’m talking wrenches, sockets, etc). Then again, hard pass.
So it fully depends on where the craftsman branded stuff slots in place and where it’s made. more chinese made stuffs – pass in general. Something that balances all the so called hype – I’ll give it a look but I still might not by any.
Today I’m conditioned to look at Dewalt, Bosch and makita power tools. And I mostly buy Dewalt cordless mostly because of battery system purchase. But I have a bosch router for example.
Handtool stuff – SK, PROTO, WILLIAMS is most of what I consider these days. Yes I have some Stahlwille sockets and wrenches but my newest purchase ratchet was williams, and before that SK. I don’t even look down the racks at other stores because often cost in hand wise I do better on the internet and I’m buying american. Some times I can’t and I recognize this.
Kenneth Stephens
Along with MAC, SBD also owns Proto. I love proto and would love to see some Craftsman tools with a shared design or production basis as the Proto and MAC tools.
Diplomatic Immunity
Just make sure you realize that some Williams stuff is made in Taiwan and not the US; if you’re purposely buying Williams for ‘made in the usa’. Generally you can tell just by price.
Nathan
Indeed – but they at least mark them as such.
And yes I left Proto off my list.
JD
I own some DeWALT hand tools including wrenches, ratcheting wrenches, sockets, and universal sockets. They all have a COO of Taiwan. Very good quality. Much better then most Chinese stuff. Not sure why you’re assuming China.
rinty
My Craftsman rotary tool is now 17 years old and going strong. Among its achievements was fabricating a castellated wrench bit on a lonely Baja beach to change a wheel bearing!
Bob
Manufacturers badly need to standardize batteries. It would benefit them as much as the customers. So much waste, so much expense, so much confusion. They need to just stop it already.
Tony G.
The “C3” line of cordless might fit your needs?
Batteries are the same across the line.
Prices are reasonable.
The older cordless tools with NICad batteries will take the newer lithium-ion.
Just a thought.
Gordon
The power tool market is so saturated right now, especially with SBD brands. I’d love to see Craftsman return to their roots; USA made hand tools with an unbeatable warranty. There seems to be market space between Husky/Kobalt and the Truck brands.
Robert
I bought the 299 piece socket set. Says “Made in USA” on every single socket.
Ryan
You got NOS (New OLD Stock) and most likely got lucky in finding this. Congratulations.
Matthew
I’d be interested in a good 12V line of tools. SBD has plenty of 18/20V platforms but has let the 12V market go entirely to Milwaukee/Bosch/Ridgid. Hopefully they will use Craftsman power tools to address the Ryobi niche and Porter Cable’s quality will rise to where it used to be (or closer).
I’ve been putting off upgrading my socket and wrench sets and making do with what I have because I’m interested in how the new Craftsman hand tools look/perform. (I’ve got a mix of Gearwrench, Craftsman and HF hand tools right now but want to upgrade most of the items as I’m able.)
Diplomatic Immunity
If they’re smart they’ll do what Makita is doing and make some subcompact 18V. With battery tech constantly improving there will be no real reason soon enough to have 12V when they can shrink 18V tool designs and shrink the overall size of the battery pack.
Stan
Craftsman has a good 12 volt line. It’s ” Nextec” 12volt lithium ion. I have a property maintenance co. and the 12 volt line is great, sometimes I need to get into small places or preform softer work than my regular craftsman cordless tools can do. I’m definitely a craftsman guy. Buy craftsman first. Some of my craftsman tools have been handed down to me from my father. I’ve had some for 25yrs. Now that’s a tool. A little over a year ago I broke a axe I had since I was 10 , 30yrs, I got it from my father, I don’t know how long he had it. But I brought it back to Sears and they gave me a new axe. I am a little bothered by the fiberglass handle but it has split 8 cord of wood thus far. I walk around Sears and ace not to see what they have but to see if I don’t have it and there isn’t much. I love the made in USA on every tool. America first America always, I am an American and I want a tool made by Americans the greatest country on the planet. Buy craftsman first.
Jerry
Did you break the head or the handle, because it could have been rehung (rehandled) and I’m sure the head alone would be worth more then a new axe, or at least to a collector/restorer
Robert
STUART
Have you considered adding a page where readers can buy/sell tools amoungst each other. Even a wanted section would be nice.
If it exists can you direct me too it?
Cr8on
There isn’t exactly a buy sell trade, but there is this…
https://discuss.toolguyd.com/?utm_source=sidebar&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=forum
I don’t know if Stuart would or wouldn’t mind a thread or category for it.
Stuart
Such a feature is outside the scope of ToolGuyd, and it’s something I frown upon. Quite frankly, too much can go wrong.
I’m not too keen on the idea of classified entries in the forum either. There’s just too much risk, too much hassle.
Jerry
I agree. One of the qualities of ToolGuyd is that they aren’t trying to ‘sell’ anything to anyone so much as pass along news and information. Yes, you spotlight good deals and give your opinions on value and quality, but you don’t run a sale site. One hazard of having a buy/sell forum or thread will be the need for constant policing as there will be dealers trying to use it to drum up business, and they will be hard to separate from people who just have a tool they don’t use for sale. I have on more than one occasion bought (or know someone who bought) a ‘new’ tool ‘without packaging’ for a few bucks less than a truly new one only to find out it was definitely used. My guess is someone bought the tool for a specific project and sold the tool when the project was done. I got burned that way on a hammer drill that had obvious problems and didn’t have much recourse because it was previously owned so warranty wouldn’t cover it and the seller seemed to have vanished into thin air. If you have a buy/sell/swap area you risk having the clean ToolGuyd reputation dirtied by that sort of bad apple. Even though it wouldn’t be your doing, people will remember that they got the raw deal through ToolGuyd.
Darryl The Tool Guy
I am located in Rock Hill South . I have been buying and selling Craftsman tools for 10 years. I’ll buy them by the pallet loads. I get all that y’all are talking about in the above posts. 12 volt tools 19.2 tools 24 volt tools 40 volt tools. And I can say this the 12 volt lithium batteries the 24 volt lithium batteries and the 40 volt lithium batteries, I almost never have a bad battery. And I have bought and sold hundreds. 19.2 lithium are about 70% good. Suggest if you get one works with a charger marry those two together. They are overall Good batteries and last extremely long time. I also sell their chainsaws aircompressor all kinds of tools mainly homeowner type stuff. Born and raised Craftsman 54 years old. I remember my daddy working on motorcycles under our house. And the Craftsman tool box was always in the corner standing on the dirt floor under the house. My daddy was paralyzed the last 10 years of his life he waxed his toolbox after his stroke for about five years with one hand. Proud to be a Craftsman born and raised Southern boy.
Matthew Johnson
With regard to the warranty, I just had to warranty several Craftsman screwdrivers, I went to a local ACE and they swapped them no hassle, and the new screwdrivers were all marked Made in the USA with a “WF” on the handle. I’m guessing that those can from Western Forge?
Lynyrd
Yes, but the newer style is not Made In the USA or by Western Forge unfotunately.
Mike_S
One Ace store asked to see the receipt before they would exchange a Craftsman tool, but a different Ace store exchanged it just like Sears. I guess some store owners do not want to handle warranty swaps for tools bought elsewhere.
Rod
I see that Lowes.ca is selling craftsman snowblowers now
Cr8on
I hope SBD is taking the time to do it right. Craftsman to tools is like turkey to Thanksgiving and such an icon deserves the glory our father’s and grandfather’s swore by. I like to think SBB is acutely aware of this… Here’s hoping.
Satch
I think the logical place to start is the mechanics hand tools. This more than anything is what the Craftsman brand was built on.
Get them back to the U.S. , get the quality and finish a solid notch up over the U.S. made stuff sold at Menard’s, make warranry process CRYSTAL CLEAR, and the foundation for brand loyalty will be firmly laid.
Also, whomever mentioned SBDs abandonment of the 12v line is spot on. Craftsman could position that market very well. Make great batteries and let the tool models fall where the demand lays. I think it would work well.
And for goodness sake, give the brand a new but retro logo. Sort of like what was done wirh Skilsaw.
ToolBoxHero
I still use my Craftsman NEXTEC R.A.ID. right angle impact driver almost every day. I’ve worn one out over the years but it’s so handy. I would love to a see an updated 12-volt line that replaces that tool.
John fal
I to would like to see a Craftsman ??USA ?? proline set with true vintage roots. I’m sure that they will have to make some stuff competitive with Sears junk.
Mike
Which Craftsman ‘line’ will Ace continue to sell, the Sears or SBD?
Toolfreak
Ace will probably just sell the same stuff they’re selling now, with no real changes until A) they sell enough stuff they actually need to restock and B) Stanley actually produces their own Craftsman tools and not just the Apex-sourced stuff Sears sells, which is what Ace currently gets when they run out of existing stock.
Jason
I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the new Craftsman hand tools were actually rebadged Blackhawk designs. That would be about the right cost/quality spot for Craftsman, and most casual tool buyers have never heard of Blackhawk.
The yeti
Smart bet is this how it plays out
Alanj44
I’m still using Blackhawk I bought in 1977! I started building my tookbox after high school by buying a blackhawk wrench or two every payday at a local auto parts store.
Diplomatic Immunity
All they have to do is good price, good quality (doesn’t even need to be fantastic because Craftsman were never top of the line anyhow), made in the USA, great warranty, and concentrate on mechanics hand tools first and foremost. Essentially what they were before they started going to crap. IF SBD can do that then they will have restored the name.
Oh and don’t muddy up the brand while you’re trying to restore it. None of this ‘made in the usa’ but also ‘made in taiwan’ but also ‘made in china’ all under the same name brand bs. No different lines. Just ‘made in the usa’ Craftsman. If they want hand tools that are ‘made in taiwan’ or ‘made in china’ tell them to sacrifice another brand like Dewalt hand tools.
Jalopy_J
Nothing new here, really, that wasn’t already known. I also wish they weren’t so tight-lipped about their plans. I personally question that Craftsman will be more “available to users than ever before.” Sears tool section was larger in square footage than Lowes, and Sears is 80-90% Craftsman. Will Lowes even be 20% Craftsman? Doubtful. Craftsman will never be what is was selling a spattering of tools around Lowes and Ace, even with Amazon added to the mix.
I just personally hope they will sell C3 compatible power tools. It would be smart to do by tapping into that huge customer built-in base. Prices on eBay have sky-rocketed on discontinued C3 items. Hopefully SBD takes notice. I don’t think they’ll do that though. If they even sell Craftsman-branded power tools, I’m sure it’ll be a new proprietary line of Porter-Cable clones that suck. Again, I wish SBD wasn’t being so hush-hush.
Matt
I’m cautiously optimistic… Most if not all of my hand tool purchases that were new have been SK since Craftsman went to import tools. The vast majority of hand tools in the past though were all USA Craftsman. Aside from my Craftsman C3 auto impacts and nailer, all of my battery tools have been DeWalt. I got the impacts years ago and since I had the large batteries, I also got the nail gun a year or two back. I needed one and happened to like the design so. Better than it’s Ryobi counterpart IMO.
I couldn’t justify buying any more cheap cordless tools though. Not from anyone.. For just a few bucks more you can get a DeWalt or Bosch/Makita/Milwaukee that takes a beating and will last years. If Craftsman could do similar cordless tools in the DeWalt vein, I’d buy them. I’ve said this before but I just like the black color myself. As someone else mentioned, a modern take on a retro logo would be cool! My old corded power tools are Craftsman but I rarely use corded tools anymore. If Craftsman can offer things along the lines I’ve been buying, I’d become a Craftsman ‘diehard’ for lack of a better term again. We’ll see I guess.
Brian
Lowe’s employee here. Lowe’s just had our national sales meeting in Las Vegas last week and the answer is that we’ll have approximately 30 Craftsman products by father’s day. By the end of 2018 we will have over 1500 SKUs across the store.
It was also announced that SBD through Lowe’s will honor the warranty. How this is going to be handled is unknown.
Pete
those 1,500 skus cant be in store can it? I imagine most of that will be online. I doubt that lowes will remove most of their house brand Kobalt to replace with craftsman. Since a majority of lowes tool corral is kobalt.
Alan Sullivan
Honestly I think Craftsman should avoid the extremely overcrowded cordless market. It would just pull market share from Dewalt. They already have budget lines with Black & Decker and Porter Cable. On the hand tool side of things it looks like Craftsman would be the nail in the coffin for Blackhawk. They both would fight for the same niche. Blackhawk already has most likely a very tiny market share. I can definitely see Blackhawk being rolled into Craftsman or mothballed.
Frank D.
“ … In general SBD launches 1000 core new tools every year. … “
1000 … CORE … NEW … tools EVERY YEAR ???
Not just 100, but 1000 and not just anything, but core tools … out of what number then? 10000? and NEW tools? Annually …
Is there any actual list anywhere?
Stuart
Let’s say there’s a redesign in Dewalt mechanics tools.
Every socket, every ratchet, every extension, every accessory – those are all different SKUs.
If there’s a redesign in impact screwdriver bits, all those are different SKUs, and all the different sets need their own designs and packaging.
Maybe it was a rough generalization, but the context was that there are a LOT of Craftsman SKUs that they have to work on, without sacrificing momentum given to their everyday operations.
Nate
I think most of you guys are way too optimistic about this. Brands don’t revive and the Craftsman name was a bargain. Expect B&D to slap this logo on cheap tools and and make a quick buck on their investment as the brand name further deteriorates.
Toolfreak
If SBD wanted a quick buck they’d just do that – slap the Craftsman name on existing tools. Instead, they are spending millions of dollars on dedicated factories to manufacture the tools in the USA. The initial offerings will just be the same stuff from Apex you can get at Sears, but once the factories are built and running, you should see some new USA-made Craftsman tools for sale.
Harry
I am probably in the minority but, I would have rather let craftsman fade away. I mean there are lots of things that killed Craftsman but, I feel pennies on the piece pricing and warranty fraud led to the demise of the brand. I have more tools than I will probably use and really can’t think anything Craftsman that I would buy.
Toolfreak
“Fading away” was never an option. If Stanley didn’t buy the brand, Apex would have, and taken over the business from Sears.
I understand the sentiment, but companies, even those making something new from scratch, will often buy a well-known name and re-boot the brand rather than try to start from zero with an unknown brand and new products.
Besides, who knows, since they are going to make some stuff in the USA, they might actually make some great Craftsman branded stuff.
Terry W. Wingard
A friend of mine manages a Lowes store, A week ago Lowes held a large convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, he confirmed after the convention they would warranty all Craftsman tools as part of their deal with SBD. My family owns an ACE Hardware, we have sold craftsman for the last few years and have always honored the lifetime warranty. I imagine it will work much like Gearwrench warranties, I’ve never had issues getting service at any of the gearwrench suppliers.
RCWARD
Funny, how a wrench feels when it “ratchets” really goes a long way in how you think of a tool brands quality or lack there of. At least for me.
Tool Of The Trade
Everything you mentioned has been mostly Mr Lamperts doing. Although he didn’t start the demise of Sears and craftsman, he definitely made sure that it will happen. Overseas manufacturing is what killed craftsman first and foremost along with Eddie’s lack of logical business savvy. I agree that craftsman should stay out of the cordless market. Sbd already has 4 brands in the cordless market. There’s no need for another one. First and foremost they should solely be focused on mechanics tools and nothing else. That is what established craftsman as America’s brand as well as their old school sears craftsman brand power tools. It’s good to finally know when sbd going to start selling the new craftsman brand. I also agree that the brand needs a new logo. Especially one that doesn’t resemble the sears craftsman. They should use something similar to the old craftsman BE logo. They need to stay away from the gimmicky series brand names also. Craftsman can absolutely reestablish themselves as the American brand of preferred tools. They won’t be as big as they were 50+ years ago due to the amount of brands that over saturate the market now. But as long as they are forged here and stay away from “global materials” , they can become the brand that people once trusted. We’ll find out later this year.
MASIMAK
no sourcing didn’t kill Sears/Cman. Buying habits killed Sears brick&mortar. SHC brands integrity have been preserved, clearly. Sears brick&mortar is done surely, but don’t forget that the largest retail-realestate holder is simply Sears… Lampert knows what he’s doing. Cheers!
Toolfreak
Given Stanley’s track record I’m not that optimistic about the Craftsman tools they’ll make, but really it doesn’t matter, I have my USA-made Craftsman tools and keep other cheap ones to abuse and wear out and that’s how it will be no matter where new ones are made or sold or anything else.
I’m hopeful that maybe Amazon will buy Sears and most of their mall stores for use as both retail outlets and local/regional distribution centers, and so the Craftsman brand will just be another logical part of a big and popular name brand being sold at the biggest online/retail store.
Of course it won’t be the same stuff as the past, but that’s okay because Craftsman always changed every so often anyway, whether it was different manufacturers or new designs or just other common business practices. People with nostalgia for the Craftsman brand will all have their opinions about the new tools, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing for a newer, better generation of tools to come about.
I just hope SBD doesn’t go full retro and/or just stamp out the same exact raised-panel stuff from the last 90+ years. I’d rather see more modern or even better, futuristic designs, especially for the ratchets. The thin-profile next generaton ratchets were one of the reasons I hoped Apex bought the name, but they would probably have kept production overseas so maybe it’s better that SBD bought the name and will be making tools back in the USA.
As for the warranty, that will be a cluster****. I’d rather Stanley impose some kind of restrictions on what will be honored, no more of this bringing in rusted tools bought at a garage sale for brand new ones.
MASIMAK
So many of you have very good points and can smell whats going on. BUT no, asian sourcing did not kill Craftsman, YOUR buying habits changed Craftsman. Being on the inside of this industry, but not in the “Lampert” board room, I can tell you that KCD was always protected and those three brands reputations have been preserved, clearly. Sears brick&mortar is done, but don’t forget that the largest retail realestate holder is simply Sears… Lampert knows what he’s doing. Cheers!
Lynyrd
In regards to Craftsman Hand Tools they’re not going to resemble the older great stuff made by Western Forge and Danaher. Considering Apex Tool Group had/has an Agreement with Danaher I wish they had bought Craftsman instead of SBD.
That said if they’re tools made in the USA I will consider them.
Blythe
I would guess that lowes will replace anything Kobalt with craftsman across the board. This gets them out of the lifetime warranty business and gets a better name recognition. Not just mechanics tools, but cordless tools, drywall tools, tile trowels, concrete trowels, garden hand tools, etc. The last few may be speculation and would depend on their agreement with SBD, but I definitely think that kobalt mechanics tools and cordless tools are gone
John
It will be interesting to watch the SBD/Craftsman power tools strategy play out.
Lowes and Ace both need a solid brand to compete with TTI-supplied Ridgid and Ryobi brands at Home Depot. I suspect there may be some legal wrangling over who owns the design rights to the Craftsman power tools battery interface, SHC, KCD, TTI and Chervon all have skin in the game, so it could be messy to sort out. If SDB is smart, they will fight to keep a proprietary battery interface for Craftsman power tools so they can continue to serve existing Craftsman C3 platform owners and also optimize sales of tools, batteries and chargers at Lowes and Ace. Making the new Craftsman power tools compatible with Dewalt of other SDB brands would be short-sighted on SBD’s part.
Mike v
Will sears still sell craftsman when the new craftsman comes out. Will there be different tools at sears than at Lowe’s?
Stuart
Yes, and presumably.
Matt
Not saying they will but you’d think Sears would just sell the new SBD Craftsman line. For tools anyway… I can see selling their own design items like Craftsman shirts, work boots, jackets and stuff but why bother with the rest? They’re presently tied to the dying mall locations, Die Hard went downhill due to cost cutting supplier changes, Kenmore went downhill due to cost cutting supplier changes.. They need to focus on fixing their remaining assets. The last good thing Sears had going for it was USA Craftsman. And If SBD is out to restore that, you’d think Sears would be all for carrying it. Especially the Sears Hometown stores which are appliance, lawn mower/snow blower and tool based.
I dunno, I’m buying the Made in USA Craftsman like it always was. I want to erase the Chinese Craftsman era from my memory for good.. I’m going to Lowe’s since we don’t have a Sears anymore. If we did though, I wouldn’t be opposed to supporting them again if they carried the new line of USA tools. I’d think it could only help the image and sales of their remaining stores. Although, if I were SBD I sure as heck would Not want Craftsman anything being sold at K-Mart. Stanley or Black & Decker sure. Craftsman, No. I cringed when Craftsman first appeared in K-Mart stores… Instant brand damage.
Matt
I’m a 30 something millennial with no nostalgia for the Craftsman brand. At all. Sears was where we bought bed sheets and kids clothes and I’ve stood in their tool section for all of 10 mins eye balling some Evolve hand tools because I liked the neon grips and sub standard pricing.
I am by no means a novice when approaching my tool collection nor am I brand snobby when it comes to the flea market array sprawled before me when I enter a mega store and am overwhelmed by the sheer weight and blast of said stores tool ensemble….there are so many choices.
Who is sbds target market? The old pro who bought a wrench set back in ’78 and they’ve never let him down but who soon will be locking up the tool chest for good and heading south to sit poolside while his wife plans dance lessons and card nights with your neighbors in Boca? How many older generation fellas already have an established set of tools and see no need to invest further into a company now whom is being rebirthed? Is the name enough?
Or do they target the younger crowd, like me? Someone who has “heard of those tools” but has outlets and brands like Klein, Southwire, Gedore, Wiha, Milwaukee, Husky, Kobalt, Ridgid, Felo, Irwin, DeWalt, knipex, etc, etc…..I mean the list goes on.
The tool market is already over saturated and bloated and ready to burst because everyone wants to get their finger in the pie. I get it. I get the red white and blue fever you all get when you hear the name Craftsman and it takes you back to a dusty garage with Dad underneath the lawn mower and a shiny set of wrenches not far from hand. I get it. It’s a great feeling to have. But can that feeling be transferred into a tool whose price, performance and quality demands your attention. Can it rise above the rest? Or will the new Craftsman line surge like a brilliant tidal wave only to break against the proverbial market jetty and dissolve into another tool on the shelf covered in dust and marked down five times in hopes of emptying the clearance space for some new Kobalts.
Time will tell, i guess. As it always does.
Matty
I love my C3 tools espeically with the XCP lithium battery. Im not a tool collector, so my oft used tools are my drill, trimmer, and lights. I
If my sole XCP battery goes out, its going to be a shame for me to switch to another line. I hope they have more C3 offerings to tap into an already wide customer base, as another poster said.
Ryan
I want to see FORGED IN USA on all hand tools from craftsman. This is about all that will save the brand, in my opinion.
David
Same here
John
Rona in Canada is carrying some Craftsman boxes and hand tools and they more is to come