After 85 years of USA Made, Craftsman hand tools now Chinese

[Nessal]

Originally Posted by driyac

Having lived in china, I can tell you that china is due for a revolution within the next 15 years which will destroy the world economy. The yuan is fixed currently and this is the reason the Chinese can pay so little. Everything costs 1/8 there than what it is here. Also workers rights mean nothing there.

Also wet stove, is incorrect. More like living in a cloud of diesel smoke.

6 months in china I lost 50 pounds and felt as if I aged 10 years. Infact I lost a large portion of hairline. Haha

The real question is how the hell do they all still look like they are in their teens when they are in their 30's and 40's. WTFFF?!!?!?

[driyac]

Originally Posted by Nessal

The real question is how the hell do they all still look like they are in their teens when they are in their 30's and 40's. WTFFF?!!?!?

Genetics.... I not only towered over everyone, I was also way bigger.

@ 275lbs at 6'1"- College athlete so I am your different Size. I was always being watched by everyone. Kind of Creepy.

I love the country and would love to live there again.

[John@AutoAgenda]

Originally Posted by PAUL SS

Might as well just go to Harbor Freight tools from now on.

Especially if they won't keep their warranty any more. Would be cheaper in the long run.

With China manipulating it's currency the way it is we are literally giving them billions upon billions of dollars to rebuild their country in ways we should be doing to ours.

[driyac]

Originally Posted by John@AutoAgenda

Especially if they won't keep their warranty any more. Would be cheaper in the long run.

With China manipulating it's currency the way it is we are literally giving them billions upon billions of dollars to rebuild their country in ways we should be doing to ours.

China is not manipulating it's currency to cheat the U.S. or any other country. Currently the issue with china is that they have bought so much of our debt the Yuans current market price that if they were to go to a floating or on the currency exchange market they would literally lose 30% to 50% of the money.

In simpler terms the yuan is somewhat fixed at a 7.5 yuan to 1 us dollar currently. They bought 5$ billion in US dollars of debt. That is equivalent to 37.5 billion yuan. Of the scale were to float the true price of the yuan would be closer to 4 yuan per US dollar. With that original 5$ billion they would only have 20 billion in actual us dollars. Over night people would lose their fortunes. Companies bankrupt.

As well here are a few prices of things.

24 oz Tsingtao there 4yuan or .60$ usd
Here a 12 oz Tsingtao is 3.50$ usd

A full plate of food 7 yuan

3 Full custom tailored suits- 1500 yuan or roughly 200 usd.
And I mean fully tailored with the same fabric you get anywhere.

I don't think they are manipulating it, but rather saving their own asses.

[1MtnGoat]

In 1983 I moved to Taiwan and worked there for 6 years. Shortly after arriving I was in a tool factory purchasing tools to equip my shop. In this factory Craftsman, SK and several other "US" brands were coming down the lines side by side. A 3/4" drive socket set that cost $200 here was selling to Sears for $27.

[cbravoSS]

I just bought some Craftsman tools so I figured I would share my experience.
The set is SAE and Metric sockets, wrenches a couple of screw drivers, nut drivers, impact sockets and ratchets. I checked each piece and they are all stamped USA (made in USA, forged in USA).
I was worried that I might get some Chinese stuff but this didn't happen and they all come with the Lifetime Warranty that Craftsman is famous for. I don't know if they were made somewhere else and stamped with USA just going by what I see. They are good quality, don't feel cheap and best of all every socket is a 6 point. No 12 points were mixed in. Overall I'm very happy and thought I would pass it along.
I ordered them from craftsman.com and got a good deal. They usually have sales so keep checking if interested.

[MrGs SS]

Originally Posted by cbravoSS

I just bought some Craftsman tools so I figured I would share my experience.
The set is SAE and Metric sockets, wrenches a couple of screw drivers, nut drivers, impact sockets and ratchets. I checked each piece and they are all stamped USA (made in USA, forged in USA).
I was worried that I might get some Chinese stuff but this didn't happen and they all come with the Lifetime Warranty that Craftsman is famous for. I don't know if they were made somewhere else and stamped with USA just going by what I see. They are good quality, don't feel cheap and best of all every socket is a 6 point. No 12 points were mixed in. Overall I'm very happy and thought I would pass it along.
I ordered them from craftsman.com and got a good deal. They usually have sales so keep checking if interested.

I had the same experience and even asked the salesperson, all of the tools I picked up were made in USA and lifetime warranty. They were on sale and overall a great value, I also have some MAC pieces from when I was racing around in the late 80s with my Turbo GTI, Callaway, what a ride that thing was.. All metric, so all good.

[MikeOD]

Originally Posted by Drew10

That's unfortunate to hear. I always liked the Craftsman warranty and wonder if they will keep that philosophy now.

They handed me a remanufactured ratchet the other day that broke on THE FIRST BOLT I put it on (teeth inside stripped right off), so I went back and aked for a new one, and was given another reman...so I kept asking him for warranty replacements for 25 minutes, and as he handed me each one I found a fault until he ran out of them under the counter, and then he was forced to give me a new one...which was clearly, blatantly machined with less care than the old ones were, so I'm pretty sure it's from China...but at least it works...for now.

[SSOOCH]

I only buy Chinese made hand tools!

[mclark10]

In the early 70s when you had to turn the distributor on a Chevy small block to set the timing, you needed a 9/16 angled wrench to loosen the bolt. My dad took a 9/16 wrench from a Japanese set he had, put it in a vise, and whacked it with a hammer a few times and made his own. So there is a market for this crap.

[OUR72GTO]

Both Sears and JC Penny are on the edge.....they got there with people buying the off shore stuff at Walmart....can't blame any politician for that.

You get what you pay for.....in this case more Walmarts and fewer choices.

[Chevyman2]

Sad but glad kids are still made here until that stops we are good.:flag2:

[midnighter]

Doh!

[TORKED]

Hot topic. I for one will not buy craftsman any longer (at least the products confirmed to NOT be made in the US). It's hard. This country has fallen far from its design. However, global economics is real and will continue to expand and evolve.

Just wait until the combustion engine is taxed so heavily for it's use that we watch NASCAR with Prius and Volt. ..it IS coming.