**Craftsman Owners 'Fess Up**

[cabinetman]

I posted in the "tool" section about my Craftsman CMS. For Craftsman tool owners, here and now is the place to come clean and tell it like it is. What's your story, good or bad, I want to hear it. There's been a lot of Craftsman "bashing" going on and your take on their tools will be appreciated, good or bad.

My inter-galactical reputation is not really at stake here, based on what brand of tools I use. I mean a Chevy can get you to point "B" and so can Ford. Anyway, getting back to important stuff like tools, I've had one of those Craftsman jig saws (scrolling) for as long as I can remember. I think I bought it to replace a B&D that decided it's time was up and gave me that cooked smell just before going dead. Of course, before pitching the tool out, I cut off it's cord and saved it. I've got a bunch of cords. That jigsaw has outlasted several jigsaws includng a Bosch 1587 that I've had fixed twice. That jigsaw just won't die.

I got the Craftsman CMS with a discount certificate, and it runs smoother and truer than my 14" Makita. My old Craftsman "Professional" drill won't die either. The difference being a lot of the tools I have/had were bought that employees used, to go to jobsites, and illegally go to their homes for good. I treasured tools more when I had the opprotunity to be the only one using them, like times that I worked alone. When you rely on a tool to make a living initial cost might be a factor, but another thought is like not having a flat in the middle of the desert. I think you can get good/bad in any brand, and Craftsman probably isn't rated as top of the line in the "pro" type series of tools. As in their hand tool warranty, I can't complain there. I have just walked into a Sears store with a broken wrench and walked out with a new one. As for parts for tools, Sears carries a fair stock of parts. As for name brands, I went around and around with Snap-On to get a socket wrench fixed/repaired/replaced with poor results.

Whatever your story is, this is the Craftsman rant thread.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[wardprobst]

My experience has been good overall. I've had a few Craftsman tools that were not good values but they were usually cheap tools, caveat emptor. Like you, I have few Craftsman tools that refuse to die- belt sander (dad's partner dropped off of a bench and broke the front handle over 20 years ago), 1/2 inche portable drill, jig saw, my BT3 clone, wrenches, sockets, etc. I really like the policy of supplying parts at reasonable prices to most of what they have sold. I think the bad rep comes from pushing lesser quality tools too hard. You do get what you pay for. Count me as a thumbs up.
DP

[drumpriest]

So far great. I own a few craftsman tools, all pretty new, and my experiences with them have been good. Thing is though, I pretty much know who made them, and that makes the difference.

I have the current 14" craftsman bandsaw, which is either a yukon tool knockoff of the Rikon, or a Rikon in craftsman clothing.

I have a craftsman benchtop jointer, made by Pelgrim, which has consitantly been rated top benchtop jointer, all cast iron.

I was using a craftsman router table, until I put my lift system into the wing of the BT. That router table (MDF enclosed system) was made by Bosch.

[SHADOWFOX]

The only Craftsman tools I've owned are a belt sander that I have not even fired up and a recent 14" bandsaw that I have yet to put together...

Is there really a difference between a regular Craftsman tool and a Craftsman Professional tool?

Overall my tools are consists of Delta, Dewalt, Ridgid, Bosch, Hitachi, Porter Cable and Makita.

I don't have a Ryobi power tools but would not mind owning one.

[scorrpio]

Only Craftsman tool I own is a 10" RAS. Made 20-something years ago, used some, spent most of the time collecting dust in someone's garage, bought by me on ebay for $120, cleaned, greased, tuned, fitted with the new table and blade guard via the recall, and works beautifully. I forget when was last time I used my table saw to make a crosscut.

Overall, I think that one cannot really judge the name 'Craftsman'. Sears takes a lot of products from a lot of manufacturers, slaps a 'Craftsman' logo on them and sells. Some of those are quality, some are crap.

[gjat]

I've got a ton of Craftsman tools, because that's what my father and grandfather used. My very first tablesaw was a Craftsman tabletop. I had it for years and learned on that. I don't make dining room furniture, it was always furniture or things we couldn't afford to buy. The tools have always been a good value. I swear by Craftsman lawnmowers. I just recently scored some used tools that were old, but in good condition, plus inherited a bunch. For hobbiests and occaisional users like me, I think they're great values.

Currently I own:
Craftsman 6" jointer (1970's)
Craftsman 1/4" router (1980's)
Craftsman 1hp dust collector (ealy 90's)
Craftsman Router/Crafter [Router lathe] [1970's]
Craftsman 3" belt sander [1980's]
Craftsman table top belt/disc sander [1980's]
Craftsman tabletop band saw [1980's]
Craftsman jigsaw [1990's]
Craftsman 1/4" drill [1990's]

I take care of my tools and have heavier or nicer tools for heavier or precision work, like routers and sanders. I'm still a working man puting kids through college so I buy what I can afford. All these tools work great and are in great condition (Well, not Kirby condition).

[Ken Massingale]

All my Craftsman experiences have been fine. I've had issues but they were corrected.
Truthfully, the 'Crapsman' crap, as at Woodnet, makes me ill.

[Tarheel]

I have owned several Craftsman tools over the years...

Still going strong:

VS ROS Sander
12" Benchtop drillpress
12" CMS
Belt Sander
Power Planer
Shop Vac
Laminate ("Professional") router table
8" Buffer
VS jigsaw
Lots of handtools (wrenches etc.)

Really was of poor quality and performance....
1.5HP Router
8" Benchtop tablesaw
Drill/Driver's
Chainsaw
Chipper mulcher
Weed Eater

As I am just a hobbiest, the Craftsman line hasn't been too bad. I must say that the router was terrible - collet problems!, tablesaw - well I should have known better! and couldn't keep batteries charged at any reasonable level. The router table is just so-so. Looks a lot like the Bosch!

All in all, I have been pretty happy. I am looking very seriously at the 22124 tablesaw. Know several woodworkers who give it very high marks. (Currently have the Rigid 2400LS. It does ok but need something a little bigger,)

This is an interesting thread, as I too wonder about all of the Crapsman rants sometimes?!

Wayne

[jAngiel]

I've had numerous craftsman tools through the years. I still like the hand tools, the wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers and such. The power tools that I purchased were sanders, jigsaw, router and some others. My opinion is still that I consider them crapsman tools. I have yet to be really impressed with anything that I have purchased. I only purchased them because they were readily available at the time as we didn't have any other tool sources in the area.

The router still works but the height adjustment ring keeps coming apart, the collet lock is a huge pain in the butt and it's the loudest tool that I have. The jigsaw still works but even with a good blade it takes forever to cut through a pine 1x6. The drills bit the dust fairly quicky.

I usually keep these tools around in case someone comes by and needs to borrow a tool. I consider a lot of them crap, but not all, and I will probably continue to refer to them as crapsman tools. If I hear of a tool that gets good reports, I'll consider it, but I also hate paying more for something just because they put their label on it.

OTOH...If I come across a good deal on a "zipcode" saw, I'll buy it.

[mater]

In 1984 and 1985 I built a house and helped a friend build his house also and the only power tools I used were a Craftsman skill saw, jig saw and drill. I bought all 3 of these tools in the late 70's and used them for a lot of projects ( 2 houses, 3 garages, 2 out buildings, remodeled a house and several decks ) and numerous smaller projects. I don't know if the new ones will last like that but I still have the saw. I gave the jigsaw and drill to a SIL and all 3 are still going strong.

[ChrisD]

I have a Craftsman 9" benchtop DP which I used to cut 48 mortises for one project and I'm very happy with it. So far, this thread is looking more like the opposite of a Craftsman rant.

I think part of the reason behind the Crapsman stigma (which I also hate very much) is that the brand has been applied to so many tools of widely varying quality. On the high-end, you have the zip-code saws, the Bosch-In-Red router kit, and the built-like-a-tank DP and RAS. Then there's the "hobbyist" line of products which I think are comparable in quality with Ryobi. And finally, there's an assortment of blades and bits and other tools that you really just want to stay away from.

I think Craftsman is a very strong brand name, but I think it's unfortunate that the marketing folks at Sears/KMart do not seem to realize that it gets damaged every time they stamp it on products in the lower end of the quality scale.

People will keep buying DeWalt because they know it's not B&D (nothing against B&D; my one and only drill is still a corded B&D that I bought in '97). But I can see why someone would avoid the Craftsman name altogether because of a bad experience with a low quality tool: there's just not enough brand distinction between it and a really good Craftsman tool. Furthermore, most people do not have the kind of OEM knowledge that Keith has.

I want a cordless drill for Christmas, and I want the 14.4V Auto-Lock Chuck by Craftsman!

[25]

If it's a hand tool I am always more than happy to buy a craftsman. If it is a power tool I am somewhat leary, since they don't have as good of a warranty on their power tools as they do their hand tools. However I don't think their warranty on power tools is any worse than the rest.

The power tools I have bought from them (14.4 Drill, Circular Saw, and Belt Sander) have all worked find and I have no complaints.

I also have one of thier Pro plunge routers, it works fine but my only complaint is that the screw pattern on the bottom for plates is different than most others and the bushing pattern is really hard to find bushings for that are not craftsman brand.

[mschrank]

As others have mentioned, it's hard to apply a general or to Craftsman tools, since they are made by several different companies.

I own:
3/8 drill: won't die
10" CMS: very happy with it but wish I had a slider or a 12"
Jig/Scrollsaw: POS but won't die.
Recip Saw: Does what I ask
Circular Saw: Bearings are close to shot, but I keep it as a backup for cutting masonry and railroad ties.
12.2v Cordless drill driver: horrible battery life but hey, it was cheap on ebay!

I checked the model numbers recently, and found that all of these are made by Ryobi.

If anyone else is interested to find who made their Craftsman tools (or Kenmoore appliances), click here

[bmyers]

Okay, I'll chime in. I've found that the "Professional" line is what I pay attention to more the other stuff. I always check to see the manufacturer of a tool before buying “Craftsman”. If it’s from a company I wouldn’t buy from anyway, I don’t..

I have a “Pro” Router with 2 bases, awesome router. It’s a Bosch 1617 in red and silver.

I have a drill that’s fairly low end with a handle. It’s simple but has been a workhorse for years. Still going strong.

I have a 3 ton floor jack I’ve had for 20+ years, still going strong. Removed many a bug engine with it.
Would buy a zip code saw in a second if matters permitted, they just don’t right now.

I’ve had Taiwaneze, Craftsman, and Snap-on socket sets since the beginning of my knuckle-busting career. The only sockets I have not broken are the Craftsman. My grandfathers Craftsman wrenches out-lasted him, they are mine now, my son may pass them on some day…

They sell such a wide range of tools for everyone from Ikea furniture assembler to weekend pit-crew guy (person). I think some folks expect to pay low end prices and expect high end performance and are left disappointed. Nothing new..

But I don’t scoff at the label Craftsman, it’s just a sticker. If it gets the job done, it doesn't matter what the sticker says.

[gsmittle]

Let's see....I have a Craftsman 10" CMS I bought about 15 years ago, the nifty little laser level, a bunch of sockets, wrenches, etc., and a really old hand plane of some sort. No complaints with any of them, except the hand plane, which I have to figure out how to use. I bought a tool bag on sale last year--nice little bag....

Hey, if it works for what you need to do, use it!

Creeping up on 500 posts....

g.