Craftsman Tools

Craftsman tools have been around since "a long time" - more than 75 years! You will find that after decades of shop work, saws, drills, and routers wearing the Craftsman tools label continue to work like magic.

My smile almost burst into a light chuckle when I read one comment from a Craftsman table saw user:

He said he "bought an old 100 table saw and was wondering how old it is. Everything works good on it and it has a heavy table extension on it. It also is on a nice stand per say. It has a shiny front on it that says craftsman 100 and is almost all cast iron."

I have vivid memories of Craftsman tools from childhood. Their wood rule was a tempting target for my fingers every time my dad would lay it down on his workbench. So what's in a name? With the Craftsman name, you will find reliability, performance, and some amount of confidence that time has proven that Craftsman means (and makes) great tools.

You can hear their slogan now - "Craftsman makes anything possible". But, has it been only A's on the Craftsman tools report card?

This is how another testimonial recorded: "Craftsman power tools have long been good tools but in the last few years they have become less than great. This is the reason I switched to buying name brand tools such as Milwaukee, Ridgid, and Dewalt." The powertool user went on to say...

"Craftsman power tools up to about 1998 were made by companies such as Emerson, who makes Ridgid tools. To the best of my knowledge Ryobi makes a lot of Craftsman power tools and the quality is not up to the past standards that a lot of people have been used to. If Sears is going to maintain a loyal customer base, they need to increase their quality and cut back on manufacturing tools overseas and stand behind their tools with a better warranty."

It seems, if the complaint has truth, that Craftsman tools are sacrificing quality and reliability by using less expensive labor. But you cannot have your cake and eat it too...

Many companies now try to remain cost-effective by using production services that cost less. This often means contracting services overseas. I see nothing wrong with using less expensive labor, as long as the high quality and dependability of the product can be guaranteed.

I still think the Craftsman tools brand carries (for the most part) the quality and dependability that it purports. Products have to pass the stringent Sears Quality Testing procedures before they reach the shelves. And Craftsman tools knows that you cannot live by only a 75 year old name in today's high tech age. You've got to come sharper than that, and Craftsman, I believe, is on the cutting edge.

Sears is your main source for Craftsman tools. However, you can get great deals on accessories and parts for Craftsman tools from Amazon.com.

For example, the Excalibur MTK220 Merlin Thin-Kerf.... This Excalibur MTK220 Merlin Thin-Kerf Splitter for Sears Craftsman 10" Right-Tilt Table Saw, sells for about $109 and Amazon.com guarantees that if you find a lower price they will beat it by 10% of the difference.

It may also be helpful to hop over to the Shop tools page at Amazon.com. There you can find reviews on popular tools.

Shop Tool Review

Craftsman tools - on the cutting edge for more than 75 years!