I completely understand the pull the Craftsman logo has on you. I'm a 4th generation Craftsman fan and I was raised on the greatest of it. When we were cleaning up my grandfather's house after he died, we found Craftsman wooden tools his dad (my great-grandfather & who was a master carpenter) had from the 1930s.

I miss Sears, Craftsman, Kenmore, and most of all I miss the USA. :-(

One thing you have to hand them is that they honored the lifetime warranty on their products; no questions asked. I remember back in the early 70's a friend of mine found a rusted, busted Craftsman pipe wrench lying in an alley. He brought it back to Sears, and they handed him a new one.

Like you, Craftsman is in my DNA. I really want to love Craftsman.

So sad ! 4 generations of mechanics in my family and we all used craftsman tools. Not just tools but Spectrum oil, die-hard batteries, road handler tires...etc,etc. Like watching an old friend die a slow death. Thanks corporate greed.

I have invested pretty heavily into the new craftsman tool lineup, and so far 6 months in, I am very pleased with all the tools, I have used them more than I expected, and they have held up well to extreme use and abuse!

Sears is a one of kind store, you can get refrigerators. AC units, furniture, hot water tanks, and craftsman tools all kinds of things. You can bring your family to the mall in sears and get all that stuff. Like Sears was ahead of its time at the 80s and 90s, but we’re behind in the late 2000s and 2010s.

I had a buddy who just told me it took him longer to walk to the tool section in the store than it did for them to process the warranty at Lowe’s.

I stared buying craftsman power tools recently. Started buying them for home and ended up bringing them to work. I've never had a power tool that made me want to spend the money and commit to a tool brand. Sure I liked Milwaukee but didn't want to spend the money, had ridgid and Bosch stuff, and a super old Dewalt hammer drill but just never really liked any of them enough to commit to a battery and a brand. Once I started buying craftsmans new power tools I was hooked. The more I used em the more I liked em. Now I have a bunch of craftsman brushless stuff and absolutely love them.

Born and raised on USA 🇺🇸 Craftsman hand tools and still have and love them all. Here recently I needed new cordless power tools. I don’t use them everyday or every other day so I was not going to pay Milwaukee or DeWalt prices so I pulled the trigger on the new 20v Craftsman ones and as a casual user I have been very pleased with them great video keep up the good fight

I ended up buying craftsman because lowes is 5 minutes away and they had good sales. I do also remember seeing craftsman a lot when I was younger so figured why not give it a try. I have been impressed with the v20 line up. I now have a collection of craftsman products from drills and saws to there 3100psi pressure washer. My favorite item though is the battery powered leaf blower. Its really convenient just picking it up putting a fresh battery in and getting the leaves out of the driveway.

great video! To bring back Craftsman, Stanley needs to contract with SK for sockets and ratchets to be brand as craftsman, get back with western forge for screwdrivers and maybe even contract with channel lock for pliers to be branded as craftsman.

I have an old craftsman breaker bar from my father back in his days. Its broken and I refuse to take it into warranty because they want to give me a new current one. The old one has meanings to me and I rather have it sit in my box broken to remind me of my father over getting a new usable one

I hope B&K does right by this brand. I grew up with a dad, and two granddads who were die hard craftsman fans and I know the exact feeling you have when walking into Lowe’s.

"who are you again and why are you interrupting my break", I heard that and it was so funny but at the same time so true. The local Sears here has 'store closing' signs everywhere, I figure this one won't be open much longer. Also, almost forgot -- Shine on!

As a owner of the C3 and the V20 lineup. The new Brushless models belong on Construction Job sites. They should try fleet once they get a combination hammerdrill. With a vacuum attachment.

Thank you for making this, I feel like this video is spot on for so many of us. My Grandfather worked in and eventually managed a Sears Auto Center, so as you can imagine when I was growing up Sears and Craftsman was where we went and what we bought, and it was good stuff. I’m just glad my Grandfather didn’t have to see it all fall apart.

I like ya Bear, but I really don't get why you keep harping on the factory/labor aspect so incorrectly. The "assembly line" setup in Ft Mill is basically what they've had in place for the last 25 years. The same process was used when Ryobi was making the Craftsman power tools in Ft Mill in the late '90s. Assemble, test, package and ship out. The new plant in Texas is making hand tools like wrenches and sockets which will be forged and finished on site, so there's really no way to "assemble" those. That plant is going to provide a lot of career-level jobs from maintenance techs to production supervisors to quality assurance personnel. Additionally, the "Made in USA with Global Materials" is largely (but not totally) a result of legislation that went in place in the early 2000s that more thoroughly defines country of origin for products. The processes are pretty much the same, the parts are sourced the same, etc for all of those cordless tools. Some of the components needed aren't even available from American manufacturers nowadays. Now for tool boxes and such they may be using offshore steel which is a bummer, but at least the stamping, painting, assembly etc is being done here in America. The Texas plant is a big step in the process, and to dismiss it off just seems a bit uneducated and irresponsible to me as someone who works for a globalized manufacturing company.

Many years ago I heard a guy on the radio say that it was common to see a business EXPAND ... right before going under. Decades of observation have shown this to be more true than not true.

I placed Craftsman on the back burner after they moved production to China, but I’ve been buying made in USA and old Craftsman stuff.

Most of my tools are Craftsman and I still have a lot of nostalgia for the brand. Looking at the tools in my box that belonged to my dad keeps the love of the brand going.

I use to fix the rachets for Craftsman when I was a cashier for sears, it was the best part of the job.

Always thoughtful dialogue and one of my favorites....THX Bear!

Love Sundays Live

Great video, and accurate info. I also have a soft spot for craftsman, but I haven’t pulled the trigger on most of the new SBD stuff. I’ve had good experience with craftsman customer service for warranty; free shipping, relatively painless.

I own a lot of Flexvolt and XR tools from Dewalt. I also have some of their basic line of power tools and its been years and they ALL still work like the day I bought them.

I used to be a craftsman fanboy. That all changed about 2 or 3 years ago. I went to the Sears in my local mall when everything was like 75% off, and bought their largest portable tool kit. The like 280 piece kit. Time went on and I was doing a brake job on my truck and sheared the pawl inside and basically junked the ratchet. I went to ACE hardware since Sears had closed and intended to change the ratchet out. They fed me so much bullshit. They wanted my receipts, they wanted me to bring the entire kit back, they handed me like a 5 page document going over had I abused the tool, maintained the tool and such. On the back of that document, it said if you're a professional mechanic, we wont cover our warranty and if you lied on the document, they would fine you. All that over a cheap ass $20 ratchet. I ripped it up and threw the ratchet on the floor and left crapsman to the fanboys.

I’ve got a set of craftsman drivers, love em. Definitely a lack in power, but I’ve put miles on them and they still get the job done for this handyman. Just got a set of Milwaukee power tools to venture into larger jobs, but I’ve loved them.

Thanks for another great video!

My late father was a destroyer of tools. The only ones that survived were his old set of Craftsman wrenches. I chomped the like button for your Yoko Ono joke, nearly coughed up my dinner. Thank you, Bear.

I love the C3 line. I've used them for years now.

This is my favorite tool video series!

Thanks for another in depth report. I grew up with sears and craftsman and am sad to see it change and in many ways just go away. Thank you

Porter Cable is also at Bi-mart in the PNW, 81 stores

The closing of Sears and Craftsman is why I shop at Harbor Freight. Has the same bring it in and get it replaced that Sears Craftsman had. I buy the Pittsburgh line, have had no problems. Did have some hex key sockets break of Craftsman & Pittsburgh both were replaced. Used to be Harbor Freight was 50 miles away. But they have expanded to be local now.

You run a great channel! Very informational. Keep it up.

yea man my grandfather worked/ retired from sears, he was a mechanic. crazy to see the end of the company.

Sears is dead to me.. because there is literally no Sears store left in my state!

Hello to Mr. Tool Bear and rest of audience! I watched a ( sixty five ford ) KZfaq vid yesterday on new tool battery adaptors on the market.You can now run (for example) Dewalt tool on Makita battery or Ryobi or Rigid etc.One battery line can run most or the 18v. tools from most manufacturers if you have the correct adapter.I know this will interest a lot of DIYers. Video called" one battery fits all tools?" works for many well known tool brands.

Appreciate the info. I once worked for Sears...sad to see what's happened to them.

Do one on Skil since Chervon bought them out. I Love Ego and they supposedly have put their phase change tech into the Skil brand. I'm interested to see how that works.

A lot of the old heads I work with have boxes full of old Craftsman tools. I'm super jealous of them. I generally buy Proto and Gearwrench since they are comparable in price and quality to what Craftsman used to be.

I used to buy only Sears Craftsman sockets and ratchets. Now it is Pittsburgh or Icon; Husky or Kobalt if I have to.

Back in 1969 I worked at Sears on Pico Blvd in Los Angeles while going to college..Bought a tool set for $99.00 which included a metal toolbox. Still have 95% of the original tools.

Just started watching your vids very recently. Love this one as I was introduced to Crafstman first as well and on top that there is a Sears left here near my town,(closer to my work), I'm in South Puget Sound area btw, that is also Closing now. Great vid(s), Keep it up & Subbed!:)...

I was sad to see the Sears by me close down, the Sears outlet store was around for a little while but that is not gone too. Nothing stays the same I guess... At least there is a Harbor Freight close to me now to get bargains at. I miss the Craftsman's from the 90s

Very well done show keep it up

Taiwan. Not China. Made in Taiwan. I can attest to my 1/4 ratchet being bone dry inside, although the 3/8 was well lubricated. Sadly, a LOT of okay in the pall and selection lever. A lot of room to tighten up that part. Rathets themselves have a very nice smooth finish though.

I started with Craftsman as well. My first set of tools that I still have. My tool boxes, my first and only lawn mower that I’ve even owned and its still going my weed waker, shop vac, first set of cordless power tools which are super bulky and horrible btw. I still have all that a refuse to get rid of it for some reason. I tried going with Ridgid power tools but their line up is just not big enough. If the Bear here in the future deems new Craftsman worthy then I will probably start buying them again. Great video.👍🏽

Just wanted to say, I really appreciate these videos about the history and development and current operations of various tool brands. Tool companies are always merging, taking each other over, or rebranding products, and it can be really difficult to disentangle and work out just who is making what, and who else they're making it for. But you really put the research in, and you aren't afraid to speak the truth, even when it's not a very happy truth. This is valuable and interesting to any serious tool user, and your videos stand out from a lot of the slavish fanboy content here on the Tube. So thank you, bear!

My dad has been using the same Craftsman tool set that he had bought back in the early 90's, never had a problem with them through 3 decades of abuse. Time came for me to acquire some tools so I bought a Craftsman tool set from Lowe's because I had so much faith in their products. After two years of use my 3/8 socket wrench locked up on me, the 3/8 extension won't hold a socket anymore, sockets get stuck on the 1/2 extension, and I've had a few screw/torx bits completely fail. The warranty was a run around since the tool set I bought was "Gun metal grey" and it couldn't be exchanged with the chrome tools. So I had to go to 3 different Lowe's locations to find all the gun metal grey tools and deal with customer service every time. For the past year now I've been buying Kobalt and Husky and they've been doing me good so far.

I bought Porter Cable cordless power tools from Lowes years ago and, your right, I am the redheaded stepchild looking to expand my tool portfolio and still able to use the same battery. Now I want to switch brands so I have enough options to expand my tools and only have one battery charger on the shelf.

I started working at Sears in 1977 after I got out of the service, back then we even had a department called farm and ranch. All the tools were USA. The hand power tools were made by Singer and the wet/dry vacs ,table saws, drill presses, etc. were made by Emerson . At a certain point Ryobi took over the Singer and Emerson product lines but the quality was still ok for quite a while . The C3 (19.2 volt) power tools were Ryobi and worked great. I watched the hand tool production gradually go chinese, with last to change being the pliers. If you look at your old Craftsman pliers and screwdrivers they are marked WF which is the the old USA firm Williams Forge.

Bear I have to say I really am impressed with the new Stanley black and decker craftsman tools. I love them and have just about all of the v20 power tools. Yes they are rebrands of porter cable and dewalt but they work great for me and are powerful. Granted I normally use my brushless one's more than the brushed but I do use them. You may not think much of it but for someone like me that loves the line and does what I expect it to do I have no issues. Also don't knock on the global materials stuff. Yes most of the parts are made in other countries but some parts are actually USA made. I'm looking forward to a brighter craftsman future now that Stanley black and decker owns it.

Sears is a zombie land, just shopped at a Sears “Grand”, well not so much. RIP Sears/Kmart

Craftsman has always been appealing to me as well. I've been buying their new line from Lowes and investing in their tools. I hope they do well, it sure stands out at the shop :)

They should make Porter Cable high end pro tool like they use to be in the 90's and early 2000's

i had a sears 2 blocks from me now i have to drive 70 miles. but my dad and his dad had craftsman si i got left all of them so i still love them.

I have a nice carry case socket set from the presale Craftsman. I’ve bought and had to return a newer set I bought at K-Mart when they started to branch out. It was not easy to return as it would’ve been at Sears in the old days. I would also stay away from anything except the basic hand tools.

My Lowe’s has no Porter Cable anymore. They’re still being carried at my local Tractor Supply. The Craftsman stuff looks good. I wonder what the addition of Craftsman at Lowe’s has done to the Kobalt line, who are also doing power tools now.

I still remember Bruce Dodge at Northrop Technical Institute saying that Craftsman tools were perfectly fine tools for working on aircraft and that if you wanted Snap On, you were basically paying for the shiney finish and the name. Bruce was an instructor at Northrop, and he said that the first day of my A&P training. I never finished my Aircraft Mechanic education, but still became an Automobile and Ag mechanic. I bought a lot of expensive tools off the Snap On, Matco, and Mac trucks. But I never had a problem with the the older Craftsman tools I had in my box. It's sad what that CEO of Sears did to the Craftsman name. It's sad what Service economies do to quality products and quality names...they destroy them.

I just found a set of USA craftsman 3/8th metric impact sockets at an ACE being sold new covered in dust. I would’ve bought them immediately but I just bought a Wright set. Pretty cool that I saw them though and it’s crazy that they’re still stocking the shelves with these 10+ year old tools

Nice to see you back 🐻 bear

Theres 1 of 2 ways sears might go. Either fast is going to make it go completely bankrupt or he is thinking of something in the works and in the next year or 2 it will be released since he bought it back as a private company and doesn't have to tell us if there doing decent or terrible

My favorite Sears here in Vegas was at the Boulevard Mall. You didn't have to go though the mall to get to the tools.

I got a new brushless 20v craftsman string trimmer at lowes earlier this year for $150. I love it a lot and with the included 4ah battery it really will last 40min+. By then I'm worn out too. That said, I definitely caved to the desire of the "purdy red craftsman" thoughts you were talking about...

I love to see what shirt da bear is gonna wear every video! Great work red!

These are my fav to watch great stuff😤👍

Love your videos

One of my most prized possessions is a Craftsman #8 jointing plane that I found in a scrap bin and restored. It is at least 70 years old, and possibly as much as 90. After flattening, sharpening, and paint touch up it works like a dream :-)

I love my brushless craftsman v20 power tool set. It's just like dewalt for half the price. And I screw 300 6in timberlock screws in 2in lvls all day

They had some Porter Cable stuff at Advance Auto here in southeast VA.

Glad to see Craftsman still making a way ... my first tools were all Craftsman.

Hi big bear. Found this video and now know there are three brands of craftsman. I guess the “best” might be from Sears. Not the same as in years gone bye. My Sears closed and now it is a bit of a trip to the nearest Sears. Thank you for explaining it. You are the”ONELY ONE” that truely explains what is really going on. Keep up the great reviews!!!

Grew up dreaming of my own tool box full of nice shiny craftsman tools, bought a few things and decided I might as well ship at Harbor Freight, almost identical quality and they have never given me a problem with warranties. Hurts to fill my 3 piece craftsman box with Pittsburg tools but I just can’t see spending all the extra for a name :(

I have an old craftsman 2 snow blower it is a 10/29 model and has a 10 hp Tecumseh flat head from the 90s and it's still going strong

Hey Mr Bear. Could you make a video explaining or showing which type of tools are easier to return in store. Ex. Screw drivers X brand, Wrenches y brand. I know you did a ratchet video so we already have that one. Thanks. Great content, keep it coming. Thanks again.

Almost all of my hand tools say Craftsman on them. I was very excited when I got my 300 and some piece mechanics tool kit. Lifetime warranty right down the road? What is better than that. Now Kobalt is my go to for power tools and Tekton will probably be my go to for new sockets etc.

I had a job fixing the robots in a factory. I was using a combination of Icon, old craftsman, and knipex tools. Anyway, point is, when robots make something in America, people still get good jobs that they otherwise wouldn’t have.

I just returned a small set of 1/4 inch extensions. They had this weird button that was supposed to secure the connection, but it would not work with my sockets. Got kobalt instead my other favorite.

I feel much the same way you do about Craftsman. At 76 years old most of my tools are Craftsman true USA made including some I got from my grandfather.

Craftsman products sold by sears are not the SBD craftsman. They still are allowed to source and sell their own craftsman tools in parallel with SBD for something like 10 more years The C3 tools were made by TTI , parallel to the Ryobi line. Basically the same tools with a different battery stem.

Picked up some good priced craftsman at all the sears going out of business sales in the Phoenix area. If it breaks oh well I got it for pennies on the dollar.

Hey Red .. just over the Christmas holiday I seen Craftsman tools in Loves truck stops ... I

As a middle class family with 5 boys this is where my mom shopped best price and warranty, if your kids tore their new pants warranty no questions. I stopped shopping at Sears about 23 years ago prices too high except for Craftsman. About 10 years ago they started selling cheep unbranded tools alongside the Craftsman the department head said it was because people thought Craftsman was to expensive, way to kill a brand. As good as Mac and Snapon same warranty 30 to 50% less cost. Today keep your receipt if you expect to use your warranty. Going forward I would buy off brand tools and have an extra of the sizes that take high torque or extra punishment. I won’t do business with companies that do not keep their promises.

I have great success with the Craftsman tools and warranties from Lowes. No problems I hear about at all. Just walk in and exchange it. Tools are used and perform great.

I tried some of the 'new Craftsman' hand tools and was bitterly disappointed. Got rid of them, since I didn't want to mix them up with the real Craftsman in my toolbox. I have the same reaction as Red to the sight of that logo, but I fight it, and it's waning.

The after market batteries are a very good option as you stated. Any time I need a tool, I visit my local pawn shop for the cleanest example of what I need, then while in store, I search for 3rd party batteries to see how much I'm going to be in the tool in total. For example, my latest find was a battery powered hand planer for $25 with bad battery, tool and charger. Tool was UN USED! $70 for a pair of 5ah 3rd party batteries and I'm for under $100. This planer is selling on ebay in used condition for $250+. Win Win...I use it for what I need it for, then I can STILL Sell it for a substantial profit. Cheers again Bear! Zip~

the old sears was the place to go to for all tools at one time. as far as porta cable i only own the dual action polisher and its as solid as it gets.

I started with Porter Cable knowing that I would eventually upgrade. I was so stoked when SB&D bought Craftsman and prepared to go all in. But . . . . was greatly disappointed to find that some of the initial tools were merely rebranded PC tools. Like many I keep a sentimental eye on them but I’ve long moved on and invested in other brands.

I don't understand the issue discussed on warranty. Just call Craftsman support and they send you a replacement quickly. I understand it is not the as when there was a Sears in every town and you could just go in and replace, but with the tool brands today, that is a norm. I had very positive experiences with Craftsman warranty recently. Snap-On however, I am on a third month of waiting for a warranty replacement. I have also recently used Gearwrench warranty (Apex Tool Group) and they fit in the middle. Replacement from them in 1 to 2 weeks. The only issue with the Craftsman warranty that I have is what you get as a replacement. With so many versions of Craftsman, the old USA, the Sears China, SB&D, etc ... you end up with what is stocked that is most similar. Also, assuming that SB&D processes your warranty claim on a Sears item, you will be getting a SB&D replacement.

Shopping at Lowe's has never been a pleasant experience for me. I have a lot of USA made Craftsman tools but I now buy Husky when I need something new. I think they make better tools and I am always satisfied at HD.

I love my craftsman impact and the sockets are pretty good also

Ugh. Ive got a ton of the old Sears craftsman tools and recently bought a house and had planned to outfit myself with a fleet of Craftsman power tools and lawn equipment but maybe I won't now. I guess I'll go Ryobi instead.

Lowe's tool manager here. In regards to Craftsman warranty: Lowe's will replace Craftsman hand tools that are the exact model number. If the model number is different, you will need to call Craftsman. Craftsman will either mail you a replacement item, or, if the item is no longer made, give you a reference number to take back to Lowes, which is good for an equivalent tool. Lowe's doesnt just "start out" by offering a "similar" tool. You will need to call the 1-800 number first. Another problem people are running into are the tape measures. Craftsman tape measures are NOT lifetime warranty.

I have been doing woodwork for 15 years my first set of power tools were Craftsman and right now I have about a dozen power tools Craftsman is the one I have the most of I have four Craftsman and one or two of the porter cable black and decker hyper tough metabo and dewalt

Bought a few Porter Cable 20v tools. Been very happy with their performance. I wish I would have known that they havent come out with anything new in a year. Literally none of their social media pages have produced content in 1+ years.

Tractor supply has exploded with new porter cable and makita the power tool section is now huge at all the ones here in ms

Yah, same as you bear.. I grew up with Craftsman. Lack of support even from Lowe's.. I just don't bother. Got a small pile in a corner to be warrantied. Was handy as a pro.. if I needed something or needed warranty.. to just go down to Sears after work. Instead of waiting a month or more for tool truck service. HF has come a long way. The new products and warranties got me sold.

Had bought a Porter Cable set in 2017, 9 piece at the Fleet Farm here (like Tractor Supply but Wisconsin based). Right before everyone went brushless on their motors; price was right, had what I needed and wanted in tools. They've worked pretty well, quality is so so. Laughed when I saw the craftsman line was clones. Do remember and miss when Porter Cable was an equal to Dewalt and Milwaukee. Nice part the set had a 4 amp and 1.5 amp batteries, bought another 4 amp on Amazon for around $50. At the time set was $260, but now in 2021 can only find them online and sounds like unless sold off Porter Cable is being retired. Have some older Porter Cable and Craftsman from back when they were really good tools that still are good tools. Sad about seeing these names being brought down like this.